Mobile Suit Gundam Alpha
by Wing Zero Alpha
Summary: -MSG Retool- In the distant future, mankind has expanded to the stars and populated much of the galaxy. But despite these advancements, man is not at peace, and soon after, the first Galactic War emerges...
1. Chapter I: Gundam Rising

_It is now the distant future, within the Galactic Century. Through a period of ages, mankind has spread across said galaxy, colonizing numerous star systems in distant planets and artificial colonies. Each world and colony varies in characteristics; some are highly developed in technology and order, while others are generally lawless and parallel to the third world. It has been said that the total number of inhabited planets and systems in each sector would be the same as that of the stars in the night sky._

_And while there are countless galactic nations, there is but one which holds near absolute power and authority throughout the stars: the Earth Federation. The Earth Federation, or simply EF, is the largest and oldest state in the galaxy, evolving from mankind's collective homeworld of Earth. Most of the civilized galaxy comes under the Federation flag, and those who do not recognize its authority with both fear and respect. In spite of its vastness, the Federation is run by a single chief of state, a President, and a Senate on the Federation's capital world, while its power is kept by the massive Earth Federation Star Force. Even so, the Earth Federation is considered a just government with benevolent leadership by many._

_Unfortunately, the times were far from tranquil, as the galaxy would soon be faced with a dangerous adversary: the Zeon Empire. Once having been a backwater Federation colony world in a distant sector, Zeon was soon transformed into one of the wealthiest, most industrialized and influential planets within the galaxy. This was made possible through the usage of genetic engineering and augmentation of the original colonists' descendents so that they may adapt to their new environment far more easily. However, this process soon became a social normality on Zeon in the following years, which proved to be controversial throughout the rest of the galaxy as genetic tampering was normally illegal, both within the Federation and the other nations._

_For this and many other reasons, on February 13, GC 153, former Federal Senator Bismarck von Daikun declared Zeon, its star system and the entirety of its sector independent of the Federation, establishing the Zeon Empire with Bismarck himself as its first Emperor. To keep their independence, he also established a full military force, the Zeon Imperial Guard, which was tasked with keeping the system defended against outside invasion and developing advanced weapons that could all easily counter any other military force, namely Star Force._

_Most in the galaxy took this as a war in the planning stages, but in spite of this, the Daikun lineage would still maintain good relations with the outside galaxy, thus ensuring two hundred years of peaceful coexistence. That is until June 7, GC 364, when the last Emperor of the Daikun line, Dietrich, was assassinated by a terrorist attack alongside the Zeon Chancellor, Degwin von Zabi. One of the assassins was apprehended before he could commit suicide via intoxication, and according to the planetary police force's official report, the man was a non-augmented offworlder, as well as a anti-Zeon fanatic and vigilante. This caused the benevolence of Zeon to increase greatly, with some even believing the assassin was a Federation agent. This is where the real tension began._

_A mysterious will denoted Dietrich's successor as Degwin's eldest son, Gihren, who immediately took the throne with little opposition. After establishing himself Emperor, thus ending the von Daikun line of rulership, Gihren immediately altered the government so that his family would become the ruling monarchy, and his brothers and sisters Kishiria, Dozul, Garma and Miharu were all put into positions in the regional governments shortly after assuming the titles of Princes and Princesses. To make sure no one would challenge his power, Gihren secretly purged all members and followers of the Daikun Dynasty, although Dietrich's son and daughter, Prince Casval and Princess Artesia, were able to escape the slaughter by slipping out of Imperial space._

_The other nations were naturally opposed to the new Emperor and his actions, which were in major contrast with the von Daikuns' peaceful ideals of coexistence. In retaliation, several nations, with the Federation acting at the spearhead, established a supply embargo that legally prevents any of their affiliated sectors from trading with or supplying the Empire. However, the Empire was able to circumvent this with its own resources. At this, the Federation would then make direct sabotage and assassination attempts on Zeon's leaders. However, these would cause no change in the aspiring new government's rise to power. This all heightens to Star Force and other national guard forces being put on high alert for hostilities, with patrol groups being sent just outside Zeon territory to make sure nothing along those lines would occur._

_And finally it all came to a single cataclysmic event that would shake the galaxy. On January 3rd, GC 377, the Zeon Empire officially goes to war, launching invasion forces into multiple territories. However, through one of Gihren's power plays, no war declaration was delivered to any of the nations, thus allowing the Zeon forces to attack or harass any garrisons that were in proximity to Imperial territory, well before any warning could be received. __This causes a large number of losses for the defending nations at the beginning, thereby allowing Zeon to invade deep into their respective territories and embroil the whole galaxy into a war of conquest. Thus began the First Galactic War._

_The war, which would last for a long while became both the first ever human conflict on the galactic scale and the single largest and most devastating conflict of the era in the number of military casualties, civilian deaths, and devastation across the galaxy. During the fierce fighting of the first few months of the war, the Zeon war machine remained unchallenged. Planets were either conquered and subjugated quickly or they were wiped out through the usage of weapons of mass destruction, which were used indiscriminately. Even the vaunted Star Force would be unable to respond to this great blitzkrieg in time, and when it did the forces deployed could only hurt the Zeon forces, not defeat them. During this period of fighting, billions upon billions of humans, both civilian and soldier were killed, wiping out a large percentage of the human population in the galaxy. And it only grew worse from there._

_Two years into the fighting, Zeon pressed its advantage by staging invasions on key worlds, utilizing its superior technological advances, namely the more advanced Zaku series of mobile suits. Fortunately for the Federation and other defenders, the civilized galaxy was vast enough that, while the Zeon war machine was far from exhausted, it would at least be slowed down, allowing its enemies to regroup and retaliate. The Federation would the first to do so by launching the top secret Project V, a weapons development operation that would forever revolutionize the mobile suits itself…_

**Chapter I: Gundam Rising**

**Shangri-La, Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

The Durga System. One of the multitudes of star systems that had become known to the human race as it collectively expanded its reach across the Milky Way Galaxy. Located in close proximity to the Outer Rim of the populated galaxy, the system itself was made up of the yellow dwarf star Durga and seven planets, all of which were gas giants. Because of this fact, along with the large amounts of gravitational waves and radiation that ran rampant across its borders, the Durga System had never been fully colonized by humans despite the potential natural resources that were speculated to dwell within the gas giants. But in spite of the dangers, there were still more than a few humans that were willing to set up shop within the system to gain access to its natural treasures, and so no more than twenty three years ago on the Terran scale, a colony was established in orbit around the farthest planet, Durga VII.

This mining colony, dubbed Shangri-La by its population, was a relatively old design based around the ancient O'Neill Island 3 concept of space colonies from the 1970s AD, in that it consisted of a cylinder surrounded by several solar panels which drew much needed sunlight in to power the colony, but revamped and modernized to fit in with the more advanced technology of the Galactic Century. Beyond that, Shangri-La's interior consisted of a small city or two and several rural areas reserved for farmland and artificial forests, and then some industrial areas dedicated to the colony's mining operations. Its population, which numbered just under one million, were mostly comprised of miners and engineers, although there had also been more than a handful of scientists and astronomers who had become attracted to the scientific finds of the Durga System; hard workers to be sure, but overall did not stand out among the rest of the galaxy. Thus, as far as the rest of civilized space was concerned, Shangri-La was little more than a sleepy mining colony that was at the far end of the galaxy, a place where life went on but very few things happened, which was precisely what those who settled in Shangri-La's metal confines wanted.

At least, that would have been the case had it not been for the First Galactic War. Not too long ago, for reasons that were unknown to the civilian population of the colony, the Earth Federation had chosen to establish a base in Shangri-La, which was properly defended by a small Star Force garrison. For the most part, the Federation's occupation went smoothly; the Federals did well not to abuse their welcome and left day to day administration of Shangri-La to the local government, and although the military facilities were integrated into the community, very few incidents had occurred under the Federation's watch. But in spite of that, many citizens were still concerned with the idea of the Federation being so-close to their homes, as not only did many believe the Federals were there to stay, but there was also the possibility that the Zeon would take notice and choose to strike.

And it was precisely on that June of the year 379 of the Galactic Century that those fears became truth. The day had started out like any other, as both the Federals and the civilians went about their businesses without hassle, and operations across the colony proceeded as they were intended. But as the day continued on, certain events began to unfold, starting with what appeared to be three transparent silhouettes moving in space toward the colony. Upon approach, the silhouettes, appearing humanoid in design, corrected their positioning so that they could touch down on the colony with what appeared to be feet, before one reached down and opened a nearby access hatch. The three phantoms subsequently descended down the shaft into the colony…

* * *

1200 hours. Though it wasn't exactly the midpoint of the day, like it would have been in the Sol System where all of mankind had originated from, it was still the collective "lunch time" for those who lived in the colony and worked for their individual livings. The inside of the colony had even been "brightened" to signal this, with Shangri-La's interior "sunlights" turned to high levels to simulate what would have been a midday setting on any other planet. Thus, the streets were crowded with vehicles, restaurants were filled to their walls and there was not a single isolated spot in the local parks.

But for Lieutenant Junior Grade Amuro Ray of the Earth Federation Star Force, this was a moment where he could at long last let himself relax. For what had felt like hours, he had been chewed up one side and down the other by his superior officer over a certain incident that had happened that very morning. As a mobile suit test pilot for Project V, the Federation's most ambitious weapons program as of late, as well as the son of the project's head Professor Thomas Ray, Amuro enjoyed a fair amount of liberties that any other of his profession and rank would have killed for. But unfortunately, even he couldn't have gotten out of the dressing down he had received for totally destroying a drone target mobile suit, which were as vital to a weapons project as environmental suits were to people who worked outside the colony's walls. As long as the drones could be repaired by some means, Amuro was free to do whatever he wanted to them in combat simulations, but this time he had accidently obliterated one by shooting its fusion reactor, and so when it detonated it took the rest of the unit with it as well as created a fairly large crater in the test range. Since then, Project V's military overseer, Lieutenant Commander Jean-Paul Bouchard, had instilled upon him the "importance of available resources" and how Amuro's recklessness was unacceptable to Project V or the Federation as a whole, and that the next time he screwed up that way he would end up piloting a construction pod from then on.

Of course, it wasn't the Commander's voice that hurt Amuro. Rather, it was his prosthetic fist that left a mark upon the young Lieutenant when he did not immediately answer one of the man's rhetorical questions. Even now, Amuro could still feel the bruise that had been left behind, as well as taste his own blood against his cheek. Fortunately he had not lost any teeth from the exchange, and his cheek had not swelled at all, although there was a distinct red mark where the steel knuckles had made their impact. At that point, Amuro would have loved to go at the man himself, but the gulf between their ranks was too much for him to get away with. So he took the blow, answered Bouchard's question, and left when he was ordered to like a good little soldier.

_Arrogant bastard_. Amuro thought with disgust, trying to ignore the dull pain in his cheek. Not wishing to think any further about Bouchard or Project V for the time being, he decided to concentrate on a pair of children playing with a Haro robot toy. The two children, likely a brother and sister, were laughing and giggling as the little green ball rolled across the ground and spouted random phrases in a high pitched electronic voice. Amuro himself couldn't help but smile inside at the display; he himself had a Haro when he was a kid, which he played around with and tinkered with its inner mechanics, the born engineer that he was. Good memories all around.

However, he wasn't so distracted that he hadn't detected something was flying at him at great speed. For reasons Amuro couldn't explain, even as a child, he had a certain quality to him that allowed him to "see" things that his other five senses would otherwise not have detected. While it occurred only at random times when Amuro was feeling extreme stress or was in imminent danger, he was somehow able to tell what exactly was going on around him or near him without having to see it or hear it. In fact, there were times where he saw things _before_ they happened. Some people called it a "Sixth Sense"; he preferred to think of it as being more "aware" than the norm.

With a deft motion, he raised his hand up and clenched it around the cold, flying ceramic beer can before it hit his face and caused him even more pain. He then turned to leer at the person responsible, who was standing a few meters away. "I've already been hit in the face _enough_ times today, Fraw."

"Confucius say 'give cool drink to man with hot head.' Or something like that." Fraw Bow replied with a bright smile. Without waiting for a comeback from Amuro, the young redhead walked over and sat down right next to the test pilot on the park bench, also putting down a sack lunch between them. "I brought enough for two, since you probably forgot to get lunch again."

"Thank you." Amuro said, taking a sandwich out for himself. As he did, he looked her over at least once, if only subconsciously. Like him, she was in casual clothes, being a dark green minidress with designer boots, topped off with the yellow ascot that she always seemed to be wearing wrapped around her neck. Combined with her short apple red hair and amber colored eyes, Fraw was definitely a sight to behold for most men, although she could handle herself easily against those who didn't take "no", as Amuro had seen.

"Like what you see?" Fraw smiled once more, having noticed Amuro looking her over.

The pilot rolled his eyes. "Green's not your color." he said plainly.

Fraw reacted as though Amuro said something distasteful. "What, on top of being a pilot, and apparently somebody's hitting boy, you're a fashion critic too? By the way, that bruise looks terrible. You should let me have a look over it."

"It's nothing to worry about Fraw. Tomorrow it will be all healed up anyway." Amuro justified.

"Then don't come complaining to me when you wake up tomorrow to your mouth bleeding from the inside." Fraw said, taking a sip from her own beer. "Look, at least let me give you some pain pills that will limit…"

"I said I'm fine Fraw! You don't need to give me anything." Amuro insisted.

The look Fraw gave back was something that resembled a pout, but showed no anger despite the outburst. "Alright, alright. No need to get all huffy about it."

Amuro allowed himself to calm down a little, realizing that he was about to put it all on Fraw just for trying to help him. "Sorry. It's just been a rotten day so far. I know you're just looking out for me."

Fraw nodded with satisfaction. "What kind of a doctor would I become if I didn't look out for my friends' health? You really should learn to appreciate it; you have no idea how many times I've dragged your butt out of a fire."

"And now you sound like an older sister." Amuro replied, taking a drink from his can, which earned a small giggle from Fraw. That was pretty much the gist of their relationship since Amuro had come to the colony several months ago. Having far greater skills with machines than with other people since childhood, Amuro met Fraw literally after a bar fight with some of the anti-Federation crowd of locals. The young woman managed to keep Amuro from getting arrested with her statement to the colonial police and, being a doctor at one of the local clinics, also patched up his wounds with a fair amount of skill. After that event, they had formed something of a unique relationship in which Fraw looked out for the introverted technophile that was Amuro Ray as well as help him develop his badly needed social skills.

"Well yes, I do feel some responsibility for you, since you've never been so good at taking care of yourself." Fraw summarized. She then thought of something else, which caused her face to draw into a frown.

"What?" Amuro answered, inwardly cringing at Fraw's sudden change of expression.

"I heard about the ship that just came in…" Fraw asked, a little concerned about his answer. "The Federation really is calling you back to Earth."

The pilot closed his eyes before he replied. "You knew this was going to happen eventually. The Federation sent me here in the first place to test out their new mobile suit in open space. But now that we've got a fair amount of field data on the prototypes, there's really no reason for me or my unit to stay here."

"I can understand that, but it feels so… sudden." Fraw explained. Amuro thought he saw something else lurking behind her answer, but he decided not to try prying it out of her. "I was really hoping you would be able to stay much longer."

Amuro eyed her for a moment. "Me too. But at the very least we can still write each other, assuming the Zeon don't invade and occupy the colony."

"Heh, I doubt that will happen. What use does the mighty Zeon Empire have for an sleepy mining colony like this one?" Fraw stated with a flat expression. She thought of another question. "When you get back, are you going to remain a test pilot once you return to Earth, or will you actually go into real combat?

That took Amuro back a little. "I will remain a test pilot of course, and move onto whatever new mobile suit the Federation wants me to try out before production."

"You sure?" Fraw implied. "I know I'm not supposed to know anything about what you're doing here, but people talk, and I've heard a lot of things about what you can do in a mobile suit."

The pilot eyed her carefully. "So?"

"So? If there's anything the Federation needs now, Amuro, it's good pilots fighting the Zeon. You could be doing a lot more for this galaxy than simply testing new toys for everybody else." Fraw stated.

"I disagree." Amuro answered. "What I'm doing now is just as important to the Federation, and besides, while I'm a great test pilot, I'm nothing compared to the real professionals. No, all I would be doing out there is giving the Zeeks another target to fire at."

All Fraw could do was sigh at that. "I really get the feeling you're missing your calling."

Amuro decided to change the subject at that point. "What about you? I can't imagine you want to stay on this colony for the rest of your life."

"Not sure to tell the truth. My mom and dad still want me to stay at the clinic, but I don't think I would be satisfied with that." Fraw answered. "I really wouldn't mind travelling the galaxy at large for a while."

"The galaxy's overrated." Amuro replied stoically before taking another bite of his sandwich. "Unless you travel far into the Outer Rim, most of the worlds look the same after you've been to five of them."

"Well, maybe I should follow you back to Earth then." Fraw said with a smirk.

Amuro stopped chewing as he contemplated those words. A second later, he answered with the only thing he could think of. "Do what you want."

Fraw laughed lightly at that.

* * *

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Shangri-La Harbor 01  
June 18, GC 379**

There were times when Captain Bright Noa wished he had remained a bright-faced Ensign that served as the helmsman of a Federation cruiser. And since, as the commanding officer of a Federal vessel he had to remain behind on his current ship to prepare for departure in the next few hours while his crew enjoyed some much needed shore leave, this was one of them. But Bright had no way of changing the ways of the universe, much less where the course of the war had taken him, so he decided to accept his fate and go with the flow of things. After all, with luck he could always find a way to get some leave himself once the _Ark Royal_ was back in Federation territory again.

At the age of 27 years, Bright Noa would have been the last person anyone would have handed command to, much less command of a ship like the _Ark Royal_. Time and the war had changed that however. Originally starting his career as a young and inexperienced helmsman, Bright had gone up the ranks in a traditional pace, eventually making his way to XO of the battlecruiser _Hood_ by the time the war started. Unfortunately, the _Hood_ had been one of the first victims of the Zeon, having been struck by enemy forces before it could realize a war had even begun thanks to the Zeon never making a war declaration, and so Bright effectively lost his first ship before he could have ever took full command. As luck would have it though, someone back on Earth thought Bright was a promising young officer (he graduated fourth in his class at Star Force Academy) and so landed his next service on the _Ark Royal_, again serving as XO under Captain Paulo Cassius. Naturally, Bright had been foolish enough at the time to believe it would have been smooth sailing from there.

The Battle of Arcturus proved him wrong. It had been one of the bloodiest engagements of the war at this point, as the Arcturus system's proximity to the Sol System, and therefore Earth, made it an attractive target for occupation for the Zeon and a system that the Federation could not afford to lose to them. The Federation had won that battle and forced the Zeon to give up their attempt to take the system for themselves, but at a great cost.

Both Bright and the _Ark Royal_ had survived that battle, but only due to a decision that Bright knew would have marked an early end of his career. At the least he figured he would have been at best transferred off the ship and to a desk job somewhere on Earth, while at worst faced a court martial for cowardice, if not a full dishonorable discharge from the bat. Instead, much to his great surprise upon his return to Earth, they gave him a two rank promotion, making him one of the youngest officers, if not _the_ youngest period, to reach the rank of Captain. And because most of the experienced commanders had perished during that battle, thus leaving very few talented ship drivers to replace Captain Cassius with, Bright was given full command of the _Ark Royal_ instead. Bright wasn't sure at the time whether to feel proud or sick for his unprecedented luck and bolstering career in the face of a second disaster.

_Many die, and those that survive get promotions and pay raises._ Bright surmised as he walked down the corridor from the bridge, subconsciously straightening the commissar cap on his head alongside the grey greatcoat he wore with his Star Force uniform. Reality was vindictive like that.

But now back to the present. While Bright wasn't sure he deserved her, he could not have gotten a better command than the _Ark Royal_. The thirteenth of the Federation's _Midway_-class fleetcarrier line, hull designation CV-13, the _Ark Royal_ was one of the rarest, most powerful and overall finest vessels in the galaxy. As a carrier, she was designed to be a transport and command vessel for mobile suits as opposed to a standard direct combat ship, although she had more than enough armament to fill that role if necessary. Much of the ship's hull was converted to make use of several hangar and launch catapult decks, while the space left behind used weaponry, which rounded out to eight beam cannons for long-range bombardments, forty standard beam phalanxes for close-in firepower and forty missile launchers which could fire a variety of projectile types. As well, the bridge tower had been expanded from regulation size so that it could incorporate a Combat Direction Center; for most modern ships, the role of combat direction could be carried out on the main bridge alone, but because _Midway_-class carriers held a larger number of suits than average, full CDCs like those from old AD era warships became necessary. And to top it off, since the hull was large and heavily armored, the ship could afford larger living spaces for the crew, thus making it look like a cruise ship compared to other Federation vessels. Combine all of these things together into one single vessel, and the _Ark Royal_ was a dream come true for any captain to command.

Taking all this in, Bright once again wondered why they had sent this ship and her crew on what was essentially a glorified delivery run. While he imagined that Project V had produced one of the most powerful weapons for the Federation yet, or at least some sort of advantage over the Zeon, was it really worth sending a whole carrier for? Fortunately Bright had become experienced enough since taking command to know when to ask questions about the mission and when not to ask questions about the mission, and this was the latter. Thus, all he could do was follow his orders and hope it would be a milk run, although he himself was prepared for the worst to happen. At least he thought he was.

"Could you have a worse expression Bright?" a new voice interrupted Bright's thoughts.

Bright didn't turn to face the man that moved up to walk beside him, instead continuing on his trek toward the turbolift. "I thought you of all people would have gone into the colony Sleggar."

"Nah, colonies like this are boring. Besides we're not going to stay here for long, so no time to get a date with a local girl." Commander Sleggar Law, CAG (Commander, Assault Group) of the _Ark Royal_'s 13th Carrier Assault Group and CO of the 105th Mobile Suit Squadron or "Shrike Squadron", said upon entering the turbolift with the Captain.

"You should go anyway. We have a long trip home ahead of us." Bright suggested, still facing the turbolift door while he was talking.

"I'm sure we'll make a few stops along the way." Sleggar said as he drew a corner glance to study Bright's posture. He sighed inwardly when he saw that his friend, who he had known since first coming aboard the _Ark Royal_, was still on edge. "And please, for as long as I have to stand next to you, relax. You look like you're going to a meeting of the Admiralty or something."

"I'll relax once we're back in friendly space. The longer we stay out here, the greater the chances a Zeon unit will detect us." Bright replied sharply to drive the point home.

"I won't deny that assessment, but you'll give yourself the universe's worse ulcer at this rate." continued Sleggar, unconsciously running his hand on the grey and black jacket of his Star Force uniform, as if rubbing away invisible lint. "That aside, when do we start loading those mobile suits?"

"1400 hours. Commander Bouchard said he wanted to go over some final data checks before transferring them." Bright answered.

Sleggar eyed his friend carefully after a short moment of silence. "You think these _Gundams_ are really going to even the odds against the Zeeks like everyone says they will?"

"I wouldn't know." Bright admitted, shrugging. "Mobile suits are your area of expertise, not mine; I only know how to utilize them on the tactical level. But Fleet Admiral Revil seems to think these mobile suits are further ahead of anything the Zeon have, and I've never had reason to doubt his judgment."

"Well, if they can at least fight a _Zaku_ on equal terms, I have no complaints. The _Guncannon_ was never good at that." Sleggar replied.

"From what I understand, one of these things is supposed to be worth twelve _Zakus_ if not more." Bright added, making it sound that was established fact.

Sleggar whistled at that assessment. "Nice. Maybe I should try one out before we get back to Earth."

"You'll have to take it up with Commander Bouchard, since he's Project V's administrator here. But considering your skills and reputation, I don't think he will refuse you." Bright replied.

"You think he'll paint one in my choice colors too?" Sleggar said with some amount of sarcasm.

"I wouldn't go that far." Bright answered quickly and matter-of-factly.

At that point, the turbolift reached the deck, and both Bright and Sleggar were about to disembark after the doors opened. However, before they could, the door opened to reveal another officer waiting, a woman of oriental descent dressed in a Star Force uniform with Commander rank markings. She stared dumbfounded at the two for a moment, before managing to regain her senses.

"Excuse me, Captain Bright." Commander Mirai Yashima, Executive Officer of the _Ark Royal_ replied as she stepped out of the way to allow their exit.

Only then did the two male officers walk out of the turbolift while Mirai walked in, and just before the door closed again, she cast a great scowl upon Sleggar. Bright was quick enough to catch that, and he sighed in frustration. "Don't tell me you two got into a fight again."

"It's nothing I can't handle myself." Sleggar stated, this time a little more serious.

"If it gets to the point where I have to transfer one of you just to keep order on my ship, you know I will." Bright said with a threatening tone.

"Look, Bright, she's my fiancée…" Sleggar began to speak.

"_Ex_-fiancée." Bright corrected quickly.

"Whatever. The point is any problems we may have, I assure you it won't get in the way of our duties or how we interact with our subordinates." Sleggar explained, making sure to not get further on his friend and captain's bad side.

Bright eyed his friend for a moment with a stern glance, but after it had passed he nodded. "Very well, I'll leave it at that then. In the meantime, I suggest we take this conversation to the mess, since it's lunchtime on the colony."

"As long as I can get some decent protein this time. To hell with Petty Officer Watson's veganism; that ideology died out with the iPod." Sleggar stated, visibly gagging at the memories of the _Ark Royal_'s cook's notorious obsession with vegetables.

The captain looked up in confusion. "'iPod'?"

"…Nevermind." Sleggar replied, rolling his eyes.

* * *

Alone in the safety and relative comfort of her personal quarters, Lieutenant Junior Grade Sayla Mass continued to absent mindedly read one of her treasured classic novels, _The Count of Monte Cristo_ by Alexander Dumas. Though classical literature was not as appreciated in the modern day as it may have been back during the Anno Domini era, Sayla was nonetheless captivated by the words of those who had lived so long ago, especially when many of their concepts and ideologies were applicable to modern times. Thus it had developed into something of an odd habit of hers to collect and read as many of these timeless writings whenever she could, preferably in written form as opposed to data, something that confused more than a few.

Off duty and with little else to do, Sayla like the majority of the crew decided that now was the best time that she would get a break from the war. However, unlike others including several of her fellow pilots, Sayla had no desire to go into the colony and explore, as she was perfectly relaxed and composed remaining on the ship. A good portion of her life had been spent around space colonies, and as such she grew to dislike their confined living spaces, especially when compared to the openness of a planet. This was of course ironically contrary to the compactness of a Federation warship, but thankfully a _Midway_-class carrier held a much larger interior than standard, something that the mobile suit pilot found most comfortable. In the end however, it wouldn't matter so much when the shooting began again and Sayla would have to go out into open space to fight.

Just as she was regarded by several of her peers, Sayla was something of an oddity amongst the standard regulation crew of the _Ark Royal_. She was a mobile suit pilot, but at the same time not the usual breed; Sayla was a prodigy by the very definition of the word, having graduated from Star Force Academy just a little over a year ago at the top of her class and gaining entry into Shrike Squadron not long after, in which she served as Shrike Two. Several had contested this in the past, but upon seeing what she could do with a _Guncannon_, critics would immediately become silent and spectators would only look on in awe. She was one of the few pilots in the Federation who could take on a _Zaku_ in one-on-one combat and win in spite of the _Guncannon_'s bulk and lackluster mobility, and she was just as gifted when it came to taking down heavier craft such as capital ships. Aboard the _Ark Royal_, it was said her skills were second only to those of her command officer, Commander Sleggar, who managed to best her three times out of five in the simulator; while Sayla was considered gifted, Sleggar Law was outright phenomenal if not plain more experienced. And even then, Zeon had aces that would give both of them a run for their money, something Sayla did not appreciate in thinking.

But perhaps what made people the most mystified about Sayla Mass was her mysterious background. Though Sayla had very clear goals and motivations when it came to the war and fighting the Zeon, she did not share any of it with others, not even those in her squadron. In fact, she didn't even share her background or where she had been before joining; her official record claimed that she was born on Earth, specifically in Paris, to a pair of bankers who travelled to just about every corner of the galaxy for potential business, and as such Sayla had grown up always on the move from one planet or space colony to another. While this was far from the darker truth of Sayla Mass' origins, there was one thing that was accurate: she spent a good portion of her life moving from one place to another, something that never changed when she joined Star Force.

_"…Oh, you do not know what is seventeen months in prison! - seventeen ages rather, especially to a man who, like me, had arrived at the summit of his ambition - to a man, who, like me, was on the point of marrying a woman he adored, who saw an honorable career opened before him, and who loses all in an instant - who sees his prospects destroyed, and is ignorant of the fate of his affianced wife, and whether his aged father be still living! Seventeen months captivity to a sailor accustomed to the boundless ocean, is a worse punishment than human crime ever merited. Have pity on me, then, and ask for me, not intelligence, but a trial; not pardon, but a verdict - a trial, sir, I ask only for a trial; that, surely, cannot be denied to one who is accused!"_

No sooner had she finished reading that line did Sayla feel as if a flash of electricity had shot through her head. Such was the feeling that she ended up dropping the book on her lap, her hands unconsciously releasing it from the brief but powerful feeling. At that, Sayla looked up and around her room, trying to search for the source of the pressure that she had just felt. However, as she searched for its origin point further, she felt that the pressure wasn't coming from the ship or in the colony. Instead, it felt as though it were coming from the space outside, a long distance away from the colony, almost at the edge of the system; a single presence in the depths of space, like a specter in the shadows, waiting in darkness. And in that darkness, she thought she "saw" the silhouette of a man, one that she could discern but felt oddly familiar.

_This pressure… _Sayla thought as she tried searching further for the feeling's source. _I've felt it before, somewhere else…_

The beeping of the intercom in her room suddenly broke her trance. "Hangar five to Lieutenant Sayla. You there?"

Sayla reached over and tapped the intercom. "I'm here. What do you need Astonaige?"

Chief Petty Officer Astonaige Medoz, chief mechanic of the _Ark Royal_'s mobile suit force, just laughed from his side. "Nothing, just following up on your request; you wanted me to contact you when we put your _Guncannon_ back together. Well not only have we done that, but we managed to up its drive output by about five percent."

"That's still not enough to keep up with a _Zaku_, but all the same I'm grateful Astonaige." Sayla replied simply.

"Hey, don't look at me! If you want complain about the design, take it up with those idiots at Anaheim." Astonaige shot back with some amusement.

Sayla gave a flat smile before replying. "I may just do that when we get back to Earth. Sayla out."

With that, she signed off, leaving her alone in the relative silence of her quarters. But even though she was no longer interrupted, her concentration was now broken and she could no longer feel the pressure in her mind. The more she tried to look for it the more she simply found a void.

That only contributed to the chill that ran down Sayla's spine and reached her heart; the Federation was not alone in this area of space.

* * *

**Zeon **_**Scharnhorst**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Richthofen**_**  
Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

As Shangri-La was the only point of civilization in the entire Durga System, space was very much open throughout the area. Though there had been several attempts to create other mining colonies around the other gas giants, there were very few people in existence that desired the life of a gas miner and so there was equally little reason to follow on those projects. Because of that fact and many others, commerce to and from Shangri-La was few and far between, as aside from the trading convoys that came every so often to provide the colony export goods from other worlds, the system could have been likened to a "galactic ghost town", long abandoned and forgotten by civilization. Thus, space was very much open indeed, but not entirely open.

To the casual onlooker who managed to catch sight of them, the Zeon taskforce, made up of three _Dresden_-class cruisers _Schleswig_, _Karlsruhe_ and _Rostock_, and the _Scharnhorst_-class battlecruiser _Richthofen_, were little more than ripples in space, their cloaking devices active and bending the light and radiation around their hulls to keep them invisible to both sensors and eyesight. Cloaking technology had been one of the most innovative inventions Zeon had achieved, as even to this day there were very few countermeasures to use against it, and advances in technology made it so that they could be utilized on smaller craft, namely mobile suits, as well. But if one looked closely enough, one could see the dagger shaped outline of the _Richthofen_ and the slimmer outlines of the triplet _Dresdens_ against the backdrop of space. It would have been an eerie sight had there been anyone around to see the four ghostly silhouettes.

On the bridge of the lead ship, the _Richthofen_, there was something of a tense atmosphere. Though the ship was cloaked, the crew felt no less uncomfortable being close to an enemy base, especially when they didn't know just how _aware_ its garrison was. As such, each one of the operators were on full alert, anticipating the worst to happen while hoping for the best. Amidst all those gather however, there was one that seemed to be at relative ease despite the proximity to the enemy outpost, showing no sign of weariness or discomfort in his prominent form. That very same man had just now exited the turbolift and was making his way toward the front of the bridge, notably dressed in his trademark crimson uniform, which held rank pips that designated him as a Captain in the Zeon Imperial Guard. And while no one was capable of reading his eyes, as they were hidden behind a silver mask/helmet, it was apparent that this man was gazing over the colony with the eyes of a predator stalking the kill.

"Quite the operation they have out here." Captain Char Aznable stated as he came up to the bridge's central monitor, not once looking away from the image of the metallic cylinder. "Very isolated, easy to set up a defense around and above all else unnoticeable. The perfect settlement for a top secret research facility, wouldn't you agree Dren?"

Commander Dren Agani, the _Richthofen_'s executive officer, who was easily distinguished by his uniform greatcoat and peaked cap, nodded in agreement toward his CO. "Just as you said Captain, but how could the Feddies have set up a base here so quickly? Intelligence claims Project V began only months ago."

"That's more than enough time to make a new installation as long as nobody's watching." Char replied, stroking his chin while the eyes of his mask nearly shown in the dimmed bridge light. "What is the colony's reported garrison strength?"

Dren took a moment bring up the report on one of the bridge monitors. "Aside from the standard sentry units for a Federal installation, at least six squadrons, operating both _Guncannons_ and older _Guntanks_, perhaps even _Balls_."

"Approximately seventy two mobile suits and automated drones then." Char rounded out in thought. "Are we sure this report is accurate?"

"No, it's two weeks old." Dren replied, shaking his head slightly. "Perhaps we should have sent more than three _Zakus_ for this recon mission."

Char only smirked at that. "They'll be enough. Even if they're detected, the initial response will be no match for them, especially if the Federals are using antique _Guntanks_ and _Balls_ to make up their numbers."

Dren just shrugged. "If that's what you believe Captain, then I have no reason not to as well."

"As you should Dren." Char replied. He then reached into his uniform jacket and took out an antique pocket chrono, looking over the present time.

Just as he read it, the Captain thought he felt a sudden flash of energy enter and then leave his mind, causing him to subconsciously grit his teeth slightly and reach a hand up to his face. For a few brief moments, Char felt as if he had just "sensed" something far away, something that seemed familiar to him yet still couldn't be identified. All he could see was the brief silhouette of another human, one that had the outline of a woman…

Dren was quick enough to notice. "Is something the matter, sir?"

That was enough to snap Char back to reality, and he shook his head. "I'm fine." he said, waving Dren off and then correcting himself to his previous position. _Who was that? And why did she feel like someone I should have recognized…?_

* * *

**Shangri-La, Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

_Captain Char was right, the Feddie pigs have been busy._ Lieutenant Walter Denim thought as his _Zaku_'s mono-eye camera continued to scan over the target area, providing the visual data back to the cockpit's panoramic monitor for its pilot's eyes to see. Currently his mobile suit, along with those belonging to Ensigns Gene Haufmann and Erik Slender, was perched on a nearby mountainside, facing down into the city below. Thanks to the onboard cloaking devices that their mobile suits carried, they remained undetected by both the sensors and naked eyes of the Federation garrison, as aside from the crevasses in the ground created by the weights of their machines, they were all perfectly invisible. The only disadvantage was it took much of the _Zaku_'s fusion reactor to remain in that state, and as a result mobility was extremely hampered and no power was available for weapons or shields, though this could all be changed simply by dropping the cloak when needed.

From his vantage point, Denim was able to observe several key things. First and foremost was that while the rest of the city was alight with activity due to the current rush hour, the areas around the Federal base were vacant, aside from military vehicles of course. He also saw that around the base's hangar area was a trio of transport vehicles, each one holding trailers large enough to carry a single mobile suit from one place to another; it didn't take much on Denim's part to realize that whatever they had been testing here was about to be moved to a ship in the harbor, and that there were apparently three of them as well. Naturally, the base itself seemed to be on high alert, as an escort group was being mobilized around the transports, which included mobile suits in the form of _Guncannon_ and _Guntank_ types.

_We came just in time it looks like._ Denim thought grimly, making sure he had set his camera to record the images into the _Zaku_'s black box system. _All we have to do now is wait until they bring the new models closer in…_

"This is getting nowhere Lieutenant!" Gene spoke up, breaking the communications silence. "I say we move in and strike, before they know any better!"

Denim could feel his face grimace with annoyance, shifting his eyes over to the video window that appeared at his side. "I thought I said to maintain comm. silence Gene. You want the Feddies to hear you?"

"I wish they would, so I can kill them all." Gene shot back. "Why are we sitting here taking pictures anyway? Look, they're using _Guntanks_ for crying out loud! That's practically begging to get wiped out!"

"Captain Char specifically stated that we are not to engage unless necessary. Now shut up and stay down." Denim replied once more.

"If the Captain were here, he'd be ordering us to attack while we had the chance!" Gene countered, now speaking with a tone of anxiety now.

"Even if I did believe that, which I don't, he's not here to do that anyway. So for the last time, boy, stick to our orders and shut up." Denim stated with finality, breaking communications with Gene's _Zaku_ and reestablishing silence.

No sooner than Denim had done so did the worst happen. In little over a second, Gene's mobile suit stood up from its kneeling position and disengaged its cloak, revealing the bulky green spike shouldered, mono-eyed war machine that was the Zeon Empire's _Zaku_ mobile suit. And as Denim's monitors indicated, Gene was reestablishing power to his suit's weapons systems.

"Gene, what the hell are you doing!?" Slender let out in pure shock, as he and Denim both realized what their comrade was about to do.

"Idiot, reengage your cloak! You're going to get us caught!" Denim hollered now, trying to find some way of stopping his wayward subordinate without having to sacrifice his own cover. "Comply, damn it!"

As if to do just that, the mono-eye of Gene's suit shifted so that it stared at where Denim's suit was kneeling, as if the suit itself were reflecting the smirk of its pilot. "I'm about to get myself a Zeon Cross. If you guys want to join me, go ahead, but if not, stay the fuck out of my way!"

At that, the _Zaku_'s backpack thrusters ignited, projecting a stream of exhaust. With such power and propulsion, the green mobile suit took flight and flew at the enemy base like a bird of prey, heedless of the fact that the Feddies were about to notice its approach. Both cursing, Denim and Slender had no choice but drop their own cloaks and get their own _Zakus_ into the air, if only to keep their comrade from getting killed. Like it or not, they were committed now, and so all that could be done was to make sure no Feddie remained breathing.

* * *

**Federation Research Facility White Base  
Shangri-La, Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

After entering the code into the electronic touch pad, the magnetic locks on Amuro's storage locker unbolted with a short banging sound, allowing the test pilot to open it up. With that, he began to stuff his clothes in and personal effects in, not caring where they ended up in his nearby duffel bag or what state they would be in when he came to retrieve them. It was obvious from this procedure that Amuro Ray was not known for his cleanliness.

Among the random things he began storing however, there was an item he treated with a little more respect. It was an old photograph of himself and his father, Thomas Ray, standing in front of Star Force Academy on Earth, both dressed in their grey Star Force uniforms. That had been Amuro's graduation day from the academy, a day that had prided his father greatly. This was only natural, as his father had been the one who had been the driving force toward joining Star Force; to this day Amuro never understood why that was, nor why his father had been so adamant about him being one of the test pilots for Project V when there were arguably better candidates out there. However, like most things Amuro took it in stride and went along with it, since it wasn't the worst post he could have received and to top it off he was given one of the most advanced mobile suits in existence to play with. As much as he chafed under the military, the life he led wasn't a bad one.

Exhaling a sigh at the photo, he stuffed in with the rest of his effects, closed the duffel bag and shut his locker. It was now time for him to head back to Earth, and he imagined his mobile suit was already prepared for transport, waiting to be taken to the _Ark Royal_. All he had to do was make sure it got there in one piece, as well as be ready to take it out if necessary.

"Finished up yet?" a deep, hardened voice spoke up in the locker room.

Feeling the urge to close his eyes and wish he were somewhere else far away, Amuro turned around to face the speaker. There at the entrance of the room stood a large, hulking officer with messy blonde hair, tanned skin and narrowed hazel eyes, dressed in a grey Star Force uniform with the rank pips of a Lieutenant Commander. Other than that, the most notable feature of this man was that his entire right arm was prosthetic, evidenced by the metal fist that came out of his right sleeve.

Amuro resisted the urge to sneer in the man's presence, as Lieutenant Commander Jean-Paul Bouchard was not a man known for his patience or tolerance. Though Amuro had hoped to avoid him, his superior officer had a knack for appearing when he was least wanted, and today he was succeeding brilliantly in that endeavor. Especially when Amuro could still feel pain in his left cheek from the day's earlier "disciplinary action".

"Captain Bright is expecting you and _Unit Alpha_ on the _Ark Royal_ no later than 1400." Jean-Paul stated in his booming voice. "Be ready to move out by that time."

"Yes sir." Amuro replied simply, managing to keep the derisiveness out of his voice.

Jean-Paul seemed to regard him for a moment, as if he were waiting for Amuro to say something flippant. When he didn't, the Lieutenant Commander tried baiting him, flexing his metal fingers to drive the meaning of his words further. "In the meantime, you're still under my watch Lieutenant. I hear of any more screw ups like this morning, I will personally rip you apart piece by piece and throw your remains into the nearest black hole."

Fortunately Amuro was bright enough not to fall for the trap, though he didn't give an atypical response either. "There will be no more screw ups sir. _Unit Alpha_ and I will be onboard the ship at 1400 as stipulated."

The superior officer once more regarded Amuro after his statement, and then turned around shook his head, muttering something incoherent about Amuro's maternal ancestry. Amuro himself glared after him as he left, before exiting himself. _Can't wait to get that dirtbag off my back…_

Soon after he found himself making his way toward the hangar where his mobile suit was located, and sure enough he could see three transport hovertrucks lined up with three individual hangars, their contents fully loaded into their immense cargo beds, along with a group of soldiers and engineers for each. The beds were all covered by a fine metal casing, so that no outside eyes could see what they were carrying, as well as to make sure some protection against enemy firepower was provided. As he began following the truck assigned to _Unit Alpha_'s hangar however, he felt a sudden "flash" of warning come across him.

_What the…?_ Amuro thought stopping in his tracks, an image of three _Zakus_ coming in for the attack. From that image, he looked up into the sky to see, in the far distance, three green colored objects flying toward the direction of the base at high speed, much to his shock and wonder. _That's impossible…!_

Moments later, a shrill alarm echoed across the base and people began running to and from in preparation for defense. Almost in panic, Amuro again looked up toward the sky for his eyes to confirm what his extra sense was telling him; Zeon had found them and three enemy mobile suits were moving into strike, their silhouettes barely visible in the sky of the colony.

Beside him, Amuro could see a pair of _Guncannon Troopers _and a _Guncannon Commander_, both variations of the Federation's central mobile suit line, take off into the sky to intercept while a _Guntank Defender_ and its cousin _Guntank Destroyer_ hovered across the ground to provide rearward support, their archaic hoverbed mobility systems making them incapable of flight like most modern day mobile suits. Further away a _Guncannon Hellfire_ marched across the ground before taking off itself along with several other mobile suits.

Even in the distant future, the central law of Edward A. Murphy continued to ring true, as put lightly, things had officially gone wrong. At that, Amuro could not remember when he started to run.

* * *

Gene Haufmann was on a high that he never thought was possible. Yes, he was disobeying orders by abandoning the recon mission and going straight into combat, but he didn't care at this point. He had been looking over that base for what seemed like hours, and from the data collected, Gene concluded that the Feddies had a fair amount of defensive power with their mobile suits and sentries, but they wouldn't be a match for his skills and his _Zaku_. And most importantly, the Feds didn't know they were coming, thus giving the element of surprise to Gene and his comrades. Thus, the opportunity was too good to miss, and would have been well worth the dressing down Captain Char was going to give him upon his return. _Eh,_ _screw_ _him. If I pull this off right, I'll get promoted and never have to take his crap again._

Interrupting his thoughts, Gene heard his sensors beep in warning: Federation mobile suits were incoming, around twenty in all. Zooming in with his main camera, he saw that they were _Guncannons_, all painted in the standardized Federation grey with dark blue highlights. He expected as much, but still couldn't help but feel disappointed that the new prototypes were not among them. For now however, he would make do with these older models, and from there make his way to the base itself.

_"For the Glory of Zeon!"_ Gene roared as he pushed his _Zaku_ to top speed and charged towards the Federal mobile suits, the other _Zakus_ following behind to engage as well.

Immediately the _Guncannons_ responded to his advance by unleash a collective barrage from their beam cannons, and although one shot would have been enough to destroy a _Zaku_ entirely, the three Zeon pilots had no trouble maneuvering around the passing neon magenta blasts. This was the biggest difference between the two units, as the _Guncannon_ had been designed to fight against larger capital ships or armored vehicles, and so focused on offensive power primarily, whereas the _Zaku_ was made to be an all around fighter, favoring mobility the most yet retaining enough firepower of its own to destroy whatever it came across. As a result, for all of its firepower, the _Guncannon_ was just unable to match speed with a _Zaku_, much less shoot it down without extra effort.

When he was close enough, he brought up his mobile suit's beam machine gun and targeted the nearest _Guncannon Trooper_. Once he had his prey where he wanted it, the Zeon let loose with his main weapon, spewing rapid fire yellow beams across the Feddie mobile suit, which tried to evade the onslaught at first, but was too late. The beams tore through the grey mobile suit's right arm, the unit's heavy armor doing little to prevent damage, before continuing up into the torso and striking against the unit's fusion reactor. The _Guncannon_ disappeared in a brilliant flash of white while Gene continued on for his next target.

The _Guncannon_'s wingman didn't take kindly to its comrade's death, and so leveled its beam rifle at the direction of the _Zaku_. Unfortunately for it, Gene saw the attack coming and evaded neatly, flipping upside down and firing a beam machine gun spray at that _Guncannon Trooper_ as well. In a matter of seconds, holes blistered across the grey mobile suit's surface, but by sheer grace its fusion reactor did not detonate. Instead, with its pilot apparently dead or its control systems destroyed, the _Guncannon_ went into a dive and fell toward the ground below.

Gene knew the chances of it hitting a civilian building were pretty high, but he didn't care. Shangri-La only reaped what it sowed; for allowing Star Force to come in and set up a base here, it was only by their fortune that Gene didn't turn his attention toward wiping out the colony's populace alongside the Feddies. And it was only by their special fortune that the Zeon higher command had chosen to simply make a recon run of the colony rather than destroy it in such a way that it would serve as an example to Zeon's enemies, a fate that had occurred with so many other planets and colonies.

With a swift hand movement, Gene replaced his machine gun with the _Zaku_'s melee weapon, its beam axe. Bringing the crude but effective instrument out, its blade shown with a bright yellow edge once activated. And it was then Gene chose his next target, a lone _Guncannon Commander_. Figuring it was likely the team leader for the other two _Troopers_, Gene closed the distance to the _Guncannon_, bringing the axe about for a quick slash. However, instead of an instant kill, the _Guncannon_ darted backward and avoided the slash entirely, before moving at such a distance it could launch a burst of beam fire from its shoulder mounted cannons. Growling in irritation, Gene darted away before any of the shots could hit, then swung around and moved to strike against the _Guncannon_'s side. This time he managed to a slash in, cutting from the right hip all the way to the thruster laden backpack, causing the _Commander_ to detonate just as he flew away.

_Too easy._ Gene thought with a grin. _I'll beat Captain Char's record in no time…_

"Gene, behind you!" Denim's voice called out in warning.

Before Gene could question what his team leader was warning him about, he had his _Zaku_ drop in altitude just as a spray of projectiles shot across the sky. He quickly realized that those were not beam shots being used against him. _Those are missiles!_

Turning around, Gene took quick notice of the missiles' origin: a lone _Guncannon Hellfire_ missile support mobile suit that had somehow targeted him without his computer warning him. At that, he switched back to his machine gun and fired a burst of yellow beam shots at the fire support mobile suit, but it managed to duck away before any damage could be done. Then Federation mobile suit then took aim with its shoulder launcher pods and fired a full swarm of missiles at the _Zaku_.

_Shit!_ Gene thought as he let loose the full fury of his machine gun into the swarm, causing multiple explosions to erupt across the sky. Rather than fly away from the flashes however, Gene did the opposite and flew _through_ them, quickly closing the distance between his suit and the _Hellfire_. As they were too close together for the Fed suit to use any more of its missile arsenal, Gene's opponent switched over to its beam rifle and vulcans, firing multiple magenta beams across his path. Just like before however, Gene evaded each shot with ease, and in turn fired a full burst into the _Guncannon_ at near point blank range, destroying it entirely.

"You Feddie scum!" Gene yelled at the flaming remains of the Federation mobile suit, before he rejoined his comrades in fighting the rest of the _Guncannons_ off. "You're not going to stand in our way!"

* * *

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal  
**_**Shangri-La Harbor 01  
June 18, GC 379**

"What do you mean the colony is under attack by Zeon!?" Bright wasted no time in shouting as he and Sleggar entered the _Ark Royal_'s enlarged bridge. Even before he had entered, the present bridge crew were already hard at work trying to assess the situation.

At her station, Ensign Kikka Kitomoto rummaged through the information that was coming in over the communications wave before being forced to answer her captain's question. "White Base reports three _Zakus_ inside the colony and advancing toward them. They've already mounted a defense, but their mobile suits are getting wiped out!"

"Sound for Level One Battlestations and prepare our own mobile suits for battle!" Bright ordered as he sat down in the captain's chair. He then turned back to Sleggar. "How many of your pilots are still onboard?"

"Six, including Sayla." Sleggar replied with all seriousness. "That should be enough, assuming the _Zaku_ pilots are average grunts. On the other hand, something else worries me…"

"I know, their carrier." Bright sighed in frustration. It had been a relatively easy trip up to this point. "We'll deal with that later. For now, just take out those three."

"Got it." Sleggar stated before rushing back to one of the entryways, intent on getting his mobile suits into the colony before everything the _Ark Royal_ and her crew came out there for went up in smoke.

Once he was gone, Bright looked back at Kikka. "Call Ensign Katz to standby on the helm."

"I can't sir!" Kikka shook her head frantically. She was one of the newer crewmembers of the _Ark Royal_, and so had not experienced battle or its dire psychological effects before. "He was among those that went into the colony…!"

"Calm down Kikka." Bright replied with a mellow tone to sound reassuring, though he knew that would do little. "Get Commander Mirai then. She has piloting experience from her time on the _Suzuya_."

"Captain, if I may ask…" Ensign Letz Cofan, the _Ark Royal_'s weapons operator began hesitantly. "We're not just going to leave Commander Sleggar and the others behind, are we?"

Bright looked back at his subordinate with a cold, serious glance. "As captain of this ship, it is my responsibility to see that she is not captured or destroyed. We all must be prepared to do what is necessary, should the worst occur."

That wasn't exactly the best speech he had ever given, but it was enough of an answer for Letz to get back to work. For that moment, Bright allowed his eyes to close and hope against hope that he would not have to give that order. But just as he had said, should the situation turn for the worst, Bright was ready to give the order for their immediate departure, even if it meant facing down the Zeon fleet that was undoubtedly outside.

* * *

**Federation Research Facility White Base  
Shangri-La, Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

It had not taken long for the sound of explosions and beam fire to reach the ground below. And it only took a little more amount of time for the raining mobile suit remains to do so as well, along with the casualties to pile up. Just as a fiery _Guncannon_ arm slammed onto the ground no more than a few meters away from him, Amuro dove right next to the trailer truck that he had been running toward. He was breathing heavily now, as the destruction threatened to overwhelm his senses and his psyche, and it was only by his own willpower that he managed to keep a relatively stable state of mind. It was bad enough that the attack came out of nowhere, but what made the whole situation worse was one simple fact: this was Amuro's first battlefield experience.

As a test pilot tasked with Project V, Amuro had been kept far away from the frontlines of the war, as his service in the trial and development of the Federation's newest mobile suit made him quite invaluable in the eyes of the Federation. He had been in the military for some time, but he had never experienced the carnage of war nor the perpetual destruction, neither had he ever seen the death of another man nor drawn close to death himself. His worst experiences had to do with overly temperamental commanders, idiot mechanics or malfunctioning parts; he was no more a battle hardened soldier than the audiences who watched the war unfold on holovid, from the comfort of their homes no less. And now, with just one sneak attack, everything had changed.

But in the midst of it all, Amuro looked at the battle above, and everything seemed to go into slow motion from that point on. As he watched the _Zakus_ slaughter the valiant but futile defenders, he could a sickening feeling slowly bubble over his despair like molten rock under a planet's surface; a feeling that felt so foreign to him along with the constant sensations that were occurring in his mind's eye. He couldn't explain what this feeling was: it was as if he were feeling death itself descend onto the colony, striking random people down one by one. He could hear their cries, he could see them crushed under falling debris, and he could feel their skin burn away from flames.

Looking over to the side, he saw as a beam shot blasted into the base's control tower, showering wreckage across the compound and onto nearby soldiers. He watched as a piece of the shrapnel shot through the gut of a fleeing soldier, while two others were caught in another explosion from nearby power cells. Amuro could only gaze as he saw the ruined and still forms of the latter two, lying on the ground, their bodies alight and missing several limbs, while the odors of blood and burnt flesh lingered around them. And just as he watched, Amuro could "feel" their final moment within himself, the horror that they felt and the lingering thoughts as they realized they were about to die. Then slowly but surely, everything went black in his head, as if a light had just flickered out from power loss.

Upon that sickening thought, Amuro once more looked up toward the sky as the _Zakus_ flew circles around their prey. He could hear the laughter of one of the pilots as he mercilessly ripped apart a _Guncannon_ with its beam axe, completely oblivious to the terror of his opponent and taking great delight in the carnage. He taunted, jeered as he took the life of one, and then the other, fully confident is his superiority to the "Feddies" and wishing nothing more than to see them burn along with the rest of the colony.

That realization cumulated into one single desire: to send those Zeon bastards to Hell in the most horrific way he could think of. And with that desire came a palpable rage that Amuro felt run deep, overcoming the sickening feeling from before. _Those Zeon rats…!_

Without a second thought he bolted into the truck with newfound energy, pushing aside the chaos inside him long enough to reach the cargo bed section and get to his mobile suit, the same one that he had been testing all this time, as well as the very same mobile suit that his father had placed him in charge of. He soon reached the cockpit, opened it, and threw himself into the gyroscopic pilot chair before sealing himself inside the giant.

_Project V wasn't for nothing! _Amuro thought with intrepidness as he went through the power up sequence, keeping his nerves stable by focusing on each detail. _These bastards have no idea what they're in for…!_

In a matter of moments, Amuro heard the hum of the mobile suit's power system come to life, a sound that was quite familiar to him, but never had he been so adamant about hearing it than now. Following this, the cockpit instruments lit up one after the other. The panoramic monitor lit up to display the interior of the cargo bed, as seen through the mobile suit's optic sensors, followed by the HUD display and the sensor displays that was now warning him about nearby Zeon mobile suits and the control console in front of him. Diagnostics showed all systems were in the green.

And right upon the monitor just as it came to life, the following display readout:

**RGX-780  
GUNDAM  
SYSTEM STARTUP**

* * *

With a thunderous boom, a _Guncannon_ head slammed down right in the middle of the research facility, by some miracle managing to miss any buildings. Following right along was its killer, whose foot smashed the head into metal shavings upon its landing, creating a large indention in the ground at the same time. With a clear and well deserved aura of superiority, Gene brought his _Zaku_'s mono-eye around the scan across the basin; now that he was right in it, he wanted to take a closer look at it, and the panic he was causing. He was especially enjoying the sight of fleeing Federation personnel, so much that it brought a malevolent smile to his face. _Heh, look at 'em run…_

He was half-tempted to actually step on one of them, as they really did look like insects from his position, but before he could even bring his _Zaku_ around to do so a warning flashed across his board. Swinging his right shoulder around, he activated the beam shield just in time, as a pair of beams smashed straight into the yellow energy field. Looking up, he saw a _Guntank Defender_ hover up to take another shot from its enlarged beam cannons, at the same time pelting him with fire from its arm mounted beam machine guns. Irritated that an inferior machine was making a daring attack against his _Zaku_, Gene retaliated quickly with a beam burst into the Federation machine's torso. Soon enough, another _Guncannon Trooper_ moved in to avenge its fallen comrade, but was dispatched quickly enough by Denim's _Zaku_, which landed nearby.

Seeing that most of the mobile suits were taken care of, Gene let loose the fury of his machine gun once more, raining fire across the base facilities with gleeful vehemence. One after another, buildings exploded in open flame, and with them he was sure at least one Feddie went down with it. At that point another _Guntank_, this one a more advanced _Guntank Destroyer_, moved up and lined up its massive arm and shoulder guns to strike the _Zaku_, but it only took a moment and a second long burst to kill. In a matter of minutes, the entire basin was turned into something akin to the works of Dante Alighieri, as fire and carnage were rampant and charred remains of mobile suits and human bodies were littered as far as the human eye could see.

But then right in the middle of his mayhem, Gene felt his _Zaku_ shake as Denim smashed his mobile suit's metal hand across its back. "Damn it Gene, you're going to hit the civilian centers at this rate!"

"What's the difference?" Gene stated with venom. "They're our inferiors and Feddie appeasers; putting them out of their misery would be generous." And as if to prove his point, he targeted some nearby housing across from the base and fired a burst, sending them all up in smoke.

"You son of a…!" Denim growled as his patience finally snapped. Pushing his _Zaku_ forward, he slammed the butt of his machine gun into the side of Gene's mobile suit, causing it stumble backward from the shock. By the time Gene's stabilizers took hold, Denim had taken proper aim, leaving his subordinate no way of countering. "It was bad enough that you botched this mission Gene, but now you crossed a line!"

Gene could only glare back while trying to find some way to bring his own machine gun up. "You don't have the guts. Otherwise you would have been the one to charge in and kill Zeon's enemies, not me."

Suddenly, their sensors alerted them of a nearby power startup, and that it was of Federation origin. Before either of them or Slender, who was just about to intervene in the confrontation, could think or question what it was, a burst of beam fire erupted from within the bed of one of the nearby trucks. From the twin synchronized streams, it was quite obvious that the burst was vulcan fire.

"What in Zedan's Shadow!?" Gene stated, just as he and his comrades took aim and fired into the truck. It didn't take long for the vehicle to erupt in flames as well, but the signal did not die down. And in that moment, the sound and rumble of a metal foot stomping onto the ground soon reached the _Zakus_ and their pilots, who instinctively made their mobile suits take one step back. Through the flames of the wreckage, all three watched as a silhouette emerged, its yellow eyes shining brightly as it moved.

And then, after what felt like an eternity, the mobile suit exited from the flames and revealed itself. Compared to a _Zaku_ or _Guncannon_, this unit was surprisingly slim in chassis, making it appear closer to the human body than any other mobile suit to date. The armor was colored in the Federation's grey scheme with dark blue highlights, which in spite of the explosion appeared unmarred. Its head was also human like, featuring a mask-like faceplate with a mouthpiece and twin eye camera sensors, which shown with the aforementioned yellow glow, and topped with a V-shaped fin over its head like that of an ancient samurai warrior from Earth. The only other distinctive traits was a stylized sigil of the ancient letter Alpha on its left shoulder, colored in red. But above all else, it seemingly shown with power; even when it was faced down by three _Zakus_, this mobile suit did not seem effected in the least. Whereas other mobile suits would have fled from such opponents, this one merely stood before them, as if challenging them by its defiance.

"This is the Federation's new model?" Slender let out, a slight quiver in his voice. As if responding to that inquiry, the mobile suit open fired with its head mounted beam vulcans, forcing the three Zeon suits to evade.

"Gene! Slender!" Denim started to command while returning fire with his machine gun, though the Federation mobile suit merely shrugged the attack away with a left arm mounted beam shield. "We don't know what this machine is capable of! Fall back and cloak, we're retreating!"

"Like hell!" Gene exclaimed as zig-zagged toward the Federation mobile suit. "I'm going to bring this bastard down just like the rest of the shit!"

"No, Gene!" Denim hollered, but to no avail.

As the _Zaku_ opened fire again, the enemy mobile suit revealed a right arm beam shield and ignited it to repel the attack. Gene figured it would do that, but at the least it stopped its vulcans for the time being. He used the opportunity to close the distance and bring out his beam axe again. _"You're mine, FEDDIE!"_ he roared as he maneuvered around the shield and was about to bring the axe down

So focused on the potential kill that it greatly surprised Gene when the mobile suit's left hand suddenly reached out and grabbed his axe wielding arm in midfall. It surprised him even more when he felt his _Zaku_ struggle against the enemy's grip, while his diagnostics warned that the armor around the right arm's wrist was beginning to buckle from the pressure. And then, it terrified him beyond comprehension to watch as the hand closed its grip and tore off the _Zaku_'s arm from the elbow, along with the beam axe it was still holding.

Before Gene could do anything else, the enemy mobile suit's opposite hand reached up and grabbed onto his _Zaku_'s head, specifically the "snout" at the base. At that, the Zeon pilot attempted to back away from the mobile suit, but it did no good as his unit was completely frozen in the monstrosity's grip. With a hard pull, the enemy mobile suit brought its arm back and _ripped_ the snout and attached extension cables clean off the _Zaku_'s head, just as Gene cried out in horror. From this, his _Zaku_ toppled backward, "looking up" at the Federation mobile suit even though its main camera had been disabled.

"Gene, get out of there!" Denim voice shouted over the speakers. Just as Gene managed to bring his _Zaku_ up and back, both Denim and Slender's units let loose with their beam machine guns, once more forcing the enemy mobile suit to hide behind one of its shields.

When Gene's unit landed next to Denim's, it shifted its mono-eye toward its wounded comrade. "Can you make it back to the ship?"

"Ye…yes, I think so!" Gene said, looking over his diagnostics. "I lost my right arm and main camera, but everything else is working!"

"Good, cloak and run! Slender and I will keep this thing occupied!" Denim said, before sending his _Zaku_ forward with Slender beside him.

As Gene's _Zaku_ launched into the air and reengaged its cloak, the remaining two blasted forward with their assault. For a time it seemed that they had the mobile suit pinned down under their duel fire, as it was unable to dodge and could only repel the fire with its shields. And yet, even as the assault continued, the suit's yellow eyes never left the third retreating _Zaku_, as if reflecting its pilots own hatred toward that machine.

Just as the two _Zakus_ were about to close in for the kill, the enemy suit's eyes suddenly flashed and in the next moment, it shot up into the air, blurring as it did. Before Denim could utter a confused "Wha-!?", his sensors showed the suit moving directly behind Gene's position and quickly overtaking him.

_"Gene!"_ Denim yelled in a desperate warning, but it was too late.

As the Feddie mobile suit shot through the air after its prey, it quickly drew one of the two cylinders out of its back, and in the next moment, a bright magenta colored beam blade emerged from its end, similarly to that of a principle weapon from ancient science fiction. In an act of panic, Gene shed his cloak and gunned his _Zaku_'s thrusters to their limits, quickly achieving the mobile suit's maximum speed, but his efforts to escape were in vain. Eventually the Federation mobile suit closed the distance and effortlessly slashed its weapon across the _Zaku_'s torso through the cockpit, dividing the Zeon machine into two across its center, the upper half exploding soon after. Gene died screaming.

Amuro could only sneer with hate as he watched the _Zaku_ explode behind him. It had been the first time he ever killed a human being, but after everything that happened around him, he didn't care about that fact. If he had any regret about it, he couldn't feel it now, which was probably a good thing. There were still two more _Zakus_ out there, and they were now charging after him to avenge their fallen comrade.

Rather than attack with their machine guns again, the _Zakus_ fired their hip mounted missile launchers in sync, causing a trail of sixteen missiles to streak towards Amuro's unit. Immediately putting his thrusters in reverse, Amuro fired his vulcans into the missile swarm, causing a few of them to explode but not enough. Cursing, Amuro attempted the evasive maneuvers he had been forced to learn over the course Project V, successfully evading the incoming projectiles but at the cost of expending much energy. Taking that opportunity, the _Zakus_ closed in and began to circle while raining fire upon him.

Amuro grunted as he had to simultaneous deflect two barrages from two different sides. "I'm not going down that easily!" he howled, putting his suit into a dive. The Zeon mobile suits pursued quickly, but by that point Amuro was able to maneuver up behind one of the _Zakus_. Bringing his left hand forward, he slammed the palm against the backpack of the _Zaku_. A moment later, the palm mounted emitter, or beam gauntlet, shot a single burst through the backpack that went straight into the cockpit and out the other side, killing the pilot instantly as well as causing the fusion reactor to go critical. Before the explosion took place, Amuro reversed and veered away. _Just one more…_

Just as he was able to process that thought, the aforementioned _Zaku_ flew in and shoulder slammed into Amuro's suit, hard. The result sent Amuro and his unit flying downward to the ground below, which the young test pilot was just able to keep from making a crash landing. But just as he was about to reoriented himself, the _Zaku_ was upon him again, this time with its beam axe ignited and ready.

_This guy's different from the other two!_ Amuro thought as he brought his beam sword up, deflecting the slash. Upon contact, he saw an image in his head depicting the pilot inside, who was now bellowing incoherently and infuriatingly about how he was going to make Amuro pay for killing his two comrades. That made Amuro leer back, and with great force he pushed the _Zaku_ backwards. But the _Zaku_ pilot remained belligerent, and kept charging forward to slash Amuro apart, despite any of the latter's attempts to defend with his vulcans.

_"DAMMIT,_ _GIVE UP ALREADY!"_ he swore as he deflected another slash with his left arm shield.

If the _Zaku_ pilot heard Amuro's outburst, he either didn't understand it or outright ignored it, as the mono-eyed suit just kept charging at him. Once more it shoulder barged Amuro back, then a second time, and then a third, obviously trying to disorient his opponent. On the last attempted, Amuro jumped away and fired another vulcan burst, but at that point the _Zaku_ ignited its thrusters and leapt into the air, its beam axe raised high.

It was then that Amuro saw his opportunity. In that instantaneous moment, he brought his still ignited beam saber upward and upon the _Zaku_'s descent impaled it straight through the cockpit. And in that same instant, before he threw the dead _Zaku_ back from him, Amuro saw the pilot disappear in the flash.

* * *

**Zeon **_**Scharnhorst**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Richthofen  
**_**Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

Char felt his lips twist with distaste as he suddenly saw that image in his mind, the image of Denim's _Zaku_ being impaled on the energy sword of a mobile suit that he had never seen before. It didn't take much from his intellect to realize that the recon mission had failed, and in a big way. However, he didn't let that expression last long on his face, as he felt Dren standing behind him, wondering what seemed to have come over his commanding officer.

"Dren…" Char spoke in what appeared to be his usual tone, but if one listened deep enough they could sense an underlying force. "Send word to the other ships: we attack now."

"Captain…?" Dren sputtered, clearly confused.

"The recon mission has failed and Denim's team is gone. Worse, the Federation knows we're out here." Char explained in that same tone. "Therefore, it is time. All ships are to decloak and advance on Shangri-La at combat speed."

Dren was confused, but knew better than to question his superior. "As ordered, Captain."

As Dren started barking orders to the bridge personnel, Char once more turned to gaze back at the colony in the distance. Knowing that he had greatly underestimated what they were fighting in that very colony, Char visibly frowned. _One never cares to acknowledge the mistakes of one's youth, but this time I have no choice…_

* * *

_tooku hanareteru hodo ni chikaku ni kanjiteru_  
_samishisa mo tsuyosa eto kawatteku... kimi wo omottanara_

* * *

**Federation Research Facility White Base  
Shangri-La, Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

It had come out of nowhere and ended just as quickly. In one fell swoop, what had once been a top secret Federation base had been transformed into a makeshift ruin, while most of its defenses had been wiped away and its occupants had been slain in equal fashion. The three Zeon suits had failed to escape, but the damage they had caused had more than been done.

From the cockpit of the advanced prototype mobile suit _Gundam Unit Alpha_, Amuro had a pretty good perspective of the surrounding devastation. From the bodies to the mobile suit parts to the building wreckage, it seemed as though the hand of God Himself had descended upon White Base and laid it to waste the same way it would Sodom and Gomorrah. And that was not accounting for the destruction that had been done to the surrounding city, both inadvertently caused from falling wreckage and deliberately caused from when that one _Zaku_ turned its gun onto the nearby houses. It was so overwhelming, Amuro found himself breathing again, feeling as though in spite of his efforts, his lungs seemed to fail at drawing in oxygen.

Even the sight of Commander Jean-Paul's remains, which was his mechanical right arm lying out from under a destroyed _Guntank_, failed to calm him or make him feel better about the situation. The same was for the image of the dead Zaku, which was laying on its back with a fresh hole cut into where its cockpit once was. In fact, Amuro felt no force in the world could change the feelings of dread that had overcome him now.

And in that same dread, Amuro muttered a question that would haunt him for eternity.

_"Is this…war?"_

* * *

_kotoba wo kasanete mo wakari aenai koto  
mada shiranakatta ne_

_kimi dake wo dakishimetakute nakushita yume kimi wa_  
_"akiramenaide" to itta_

_tooku hanareteru hodo ni chikaku ni kanjiteru_  
_samishisa mo tsuyosa eto kawatteku... kimi wo omottanara_  
_  
setsunaku mune wo sasu sore wa yume no kakera_  
_arinomama deaeteta sono kiseki mou ichido shinjite_

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED…

**Author's Notes:** Had this one in the works for a while, but I was glad to finally get it out. As I've told several people before, I mean this fic to be my own J.J. Abrams style _Gundam_ retool, which I believe is what the franchise needs desperately (not that Bandai will ever do it). That said a few things before I continue on.

First, this series is obviously far more "futuristic" than regular _Gundam_. Thus as far technology level, it's more akin to _Xenosaga_ or _Zone of the Enders_ than say the World War II reenactment that is the Universal Century or the semi-futuristic Cosmic Era and Anno Domini of _00_, so try to imagine it as such. For the mobile suits, I imagined them as if they were designed by Hajime Katoki, but with some Yoji Shinkawa (_Metal Gear Solid_, _Zone of the Enders_) mixed in. In a way I guess that makes them close to 00 MS, though again they're more advanced (you'll see).

Second, I know Zeon has always been equated to Nazi Germany, but for this incarnation I wanted to make it more akin to a Galactic (Second Reich) German Empire with some elements from _In Vain Doth Valour Bleed_ by His Divine Shadow (it's been dead for years but still a good read). In that sense, they speak English (Standard) like the majority of the galactic population, but they have accents similar to Char's dub in _Gundam Unicorn_ and the Helghast from _Killzone_; that rough, highly Germanic tone that gives you an indication of power and dark intent.

Third, in terms of aesthetics, the setting is based most off of _Char's Counterattack_ and/or _Unicorn_, with the ships, mecha and even the uniforms being based around the UC 0090s time period respectively. On the latter, the Federation Star Force uses the 0093 Federation/Londo Bell uniform as its standard (only now grey instead of khaki and with blue tinted shoulder insignia/collar/sleeves instead of red), while Zeon uses the garb of Char's Neo Zeon, all with the appropriate rank markings and other decorations. As well, several of the cast members have been redesigned somewhat, which I will get to later on.

And finally, I will only be updating _Alpha _infrequently as my main focus is with my _Code Geass_ story, _Code Geass Megiddo_.

**Author's Notes 2:** The song at the end is "Reason" by Nami Tamaki, the first ED of _Gundam SEED DESTINY_. I don't usually insert song lyrics to my work, but the more I listened to it, the more I thought it fit perfectly with that final scene and just had to put it in.


	2. Chapter II: Escape from Shangri La

**Chapter II: Escape from Shangri-La**

**Federation Research Facility White Base  
Shangri-La, Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

Sleggar Law felt his face fold into a grim sneer as he maneuvered his custom colored blue _Guncannon Commander _over what may as well have been ground zero in the distance. Even as his mobile suit's sensors continued to relay data to his monitor, Sleggar only needed his eyes to find the inevitable truth: White Base had been wiped out in its entirety.

The entire area was a disaster zone, as if the Hand of God had reached out from the depths of the universe and swept across this area of the colony. Burning buildings, charred remains of mobile suits, vehicles and human bodies were littered across the compound, seemingly as far as the eye could see, even from the relative altitude the seven _Guncannons _were over the area. Flames continued to burn unheeded, smoke poured out into the recycled air, and the unmistakable scent of death could be felt even from within the metal confines of a mobile suit. The latter was even more punctuated as Sleggar's sensors continued to detect no apparent life signs in the vicinity of the base.

_Those shits..._ Sleggar thought, resisting the urge to slam his fist into his control console. No matter how many times he had beheld such a scene, and he had beheld _many_ similar to this throughout the war, he could not get himself to adjust to it. No matter how many Federals and comrades in arms perished under the power of the Zeon, the veteran pilot could not take such deaths lightly, even when it had all but become a normality for human beings to die whenever a _Zaku _reared its mono-eyed head. After all, such scenes were only nagging reminders of the current state of affairs: Zeon was running rampant and unchecked across the galaxy, and there was nothing the Federation, for all the power it had granted to its vaunted Star Force, could do about it.

If there was any solace at this point in time, it was that Sleggar's sensors were not picking up any of the _Zakus_, which meant they had either been destroyed or, far more likely, they had retreated for the time being. Of course, there was always the possibility that the _Zakus_ had simply cloaked and were now lying in wait for more Feddies to show up before ambushing them, but Sleggar didn't see any point in that, not when the _Zaku_'s superiority over the _Guncannon _was well established. And what logic was there in a more powerful fighter hiding in the shadows when it could slay its enemies in the open without fear or hindrance?

Suddenly, as the taskforce drew closer to the site, Sleggar's sensors beeped, informing the pilot that they had picked up a signal: that of a mobile suit with a Star Force IFF. Sleggar's a eyebrow to raise a fraction. _A survivor?_

"Lead...?" Sayla's voice spoke up over Shrike Squadron's "push" frequency, her own _Guncannon Trooper_, which like her commander's was painted in a custom color, only red instead of blue, angled its head toward the direction of the signal.

"I got it Two." Sleggar confirmed, feeling a small ray of hope shine through the darkness. At the very, _very _least, the Zeeks had failed to kill everyone. He switched his comm system to Star Force broadband. "This is Shrike Leader to unit on the ground. Do you read us?"

No answer. Sleggar sent the message again. "Repeat, this is Shrike Leader to the Star Force mobile suit on the ground, do you read us? We are on approach to your position, please respond."

"It could be a trap Lead." Ensign Hayato Kobayashi, one of the newer pilots to the 105th, offered as his _Guncannon Trooper _raised its beam rifle. "The enemy may have fabricated an IFF just to draw us into an ambush..."

"And why would the Zeeks go through that amount of trouble after kicking our asses, Eleven?" Sleggar retorted skeptically, casting a momentary glance back to his subordinate's mobile suit before looking back to his sensor screen. "Regardless, we're going to check on it. All units descend over signal!"

With that order sent out, the seven Star Force mobile suits unanimously adjusted their flight paths and dropped in altitude, lowering themselves so that they would soon touch down onto the burning compound. As they did, Sleggar couldn't help but notice that the closer he got to ground level, the more detailed the devastation appeared through his main monitor, right down to the fact he could now see the human remains, both whole and severed, that were scattered across the basin more clearly. Again he resisted the urge to smash his fist into the console, as well as drown out his growing rage with the idea that he would pay the Zeeks back for this someday.

His thoughts were interrupted when his eyes scanned over something in his main monitor, a silhouette several meters away from his landing position. Realizing, it was the source of the signal, Sleggar magnified the his main camera, and once he gained a clear frame, felt his heart suddenly race. This reaction was apparently shared by the other pilots, as one quickly spoke up. "Wha...What the hell is that?"

The object in question was definitely a mobile suit, but it wasn't any type that Sleggar or the rest of his team had seen before, being of humanoid shape like a _Guncannon_ or a _Zaku_, but being more evenly structured and far less bulky than either of those units. At the moment, the mobile suit was turned away from the oncoming _Guncannons_ as if it were staring off into the distance, though it would have obviously detected their approach by now. At its feet, much to the great astonishment of everyone else present, was the remains of a _Zaku_, which had a noticeably large hole punctured through its center, a somewhat different wound from what would have been inflicted by a beam rifle or cannon.

_So that's the _Gundam_ I've been hearing about..._ Sleggar thought, feeling a grin creep onto his face as he looked it over a bit more. _I guess Project V wasn't a waste of taxpayer credits after all._

Once the mobile suits touched down, their enlarged feet slamming down onto the compound with metallic booms, Sleggar marched his _Guncannon_ up a few more meters, so that he was now directly behind the _Gundam_. He then reached the _Guncannon_'s left arm, the one not holding its beam rifle, out and placed it on the _Gundam_'s right shoulder, initiating skin-to-skin communication. "Hey, is there anyone alive in there?"

As if physically responding to the contact, the _Gundam_'s head turned to look back at the _Guncannon_'s, its yellow camera eye staring directly into the _Guncannon_'s visor. "Ah...yeah...I'm still alive."

Sleggar felt some relief at that answer, but he still needed to know more. "Establish a video link and identify yourself."

Soon enough, a vidwindow opened at the corner of Sleggar's monitor, revealing the inside of the _Gundam_'s cockpit, as well as the young man, dressed in a smudged Star Force uniform bearing Lieutenant Junior Grade pips, who was sitting in the pilot chair. "Lieutenant Amuro Ray, Serial Number 7843079... I'm the test pilot for _Gundam Unit Alpha_."

At that, Sleggar felt himself look back into the Lieutenant's shell shocked eyes with peculiarity. _This kid looks too young to shave. How the hell did he get involved with Project V?_ "What happened to the other two _Zakus_, Lieutenant? Did they escape?"

"...No." Amuro barely managed to murmur from his breath. "I...killed them too..."

"I see." Sleggar replied, nodding in understanding and sympathy. It was obvious this had been Lieutenant Amuro's first battle experience, as well as the first time he had taken lives, and Sleggar knew both of those first times were always hard to swallow. Still, he did not dismiss the fact that this kid, even if he was just a test pilot in a super advanced mobile suit, managed to take down three _Zakus _singlehandedly and with barely a scratch for his troubles. That would come in handy in the near future, but for the time being he stuck to the business at hand. "And what about the other two prototypes?"

Amuro managed to will himself enough to answer the question. "Somehow they missed them." he had the _Gundam_'s head shift toward the two remaining mobile suit transports, which in spite of the surrounding ruin, had managed to remain unscathed. "We were getting ready to transport them to the _Ark Royal _when the attack started."

"Roger." Sleggar confirmed, before switching back to his own unit's channel. "Shrikes Eleven and Twelve, get those transports moving and follow them back to the ship."

Quickly carrying out those orders, the _Guncannon Troopers _belonging to Hayato and his wingman Ensign Kai Shiden moved over their chosen transport trucks and had their mobile suits reach out with their hands and touch the cabs. Moments later, the inputted the activation commands on either, which was symbolized by the engines of either coming online with distinctive hums and the transports lifting off the ground a fair margin, before the two Star Force pilots continued to transmit guidance orders to the vehicles' computer systems.

Soon enough, the transports began to move, taking off into the colony's sky on their journey to Shangri-La's harbor while the respective _Guncannons_ joined alongside them to provide escort. As he watched them move into the distance, Sleggar turned his attention back to the _Gundam_. "You better get to the ship too Lieutenant, before any more Zeeks show up for an encore."

Suddenly, Amuro's eyes lit up as if noticing something gravely important. "I'm sorry Commander, but I've got something to take care of first." The _Gundam_ then reached up and pushed the _Guncannon_'s hand off of its shoulder, and then began to march some distance away. "I won't be long."

"Wait...!" Sleggar started, but was immediately cut off when the _Gundam_, after a few more footsteps, blasted off into the air at such speed it blurred in his monitor. Needless to say, the action caught both Sleggar and his other pilots totally off guard, and the Commander had to blink a few times before coming back to the present.

Sighing with frustration, he switched channels to the _Ark Royal_'s frequency. "Shrike Leader to _Ark Royal_." he began. "We've reached White Base, or what's left of it, and secured two of the prototypes; they're heading your way. The last one will be on route soon." Sleggar felt his eyes drift downward as he added on the next sentence. "Aside from one test pilot, there were no survivors."

"Understood Shrike Leader." Kikka confirmed, her voice sounding far more downtrodden than her usual cheery, upbeat self. Somehow Sleggar found that almost as depressing as his current surroundings. "Continue to..."

Something cut her off before she could finish her sentence, and after a few moments of distant sounding chatter, Kikka's voice returned to the radio, this time sounding more hurriedly. "Red Alert, Shrike Leader! A Zeon fleet has just decloaked at the edge of the system and is advancing! Recover the last prototype and return immediately!"

_Goddammit..._ Sleggar felt himself cringe. Just what they needed now, more Zeeks. "Acknowledged." he said, signing off and switching back the 105th's frequency in little more than a second. "Shrikes, we've got incoming. Two, go after _Unit Alpha_. Everyone else, RTS. _Now._"

With that, the _Guncannons_ lifted off as one and took off back to the direction that they came, while Sayla's lone unit took off deeper into the colony, beginning its search for the wayward _Gundam_.

* * *

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Shangri-La, Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

"How many?" Bright inquired as he sat back down on his command chair, once again willing himself on the inside to prepare for the worst.

Replying from the _Ark Royal_'s Combat Direction Center, Lieutenant Commander Noel Anderson answered with an even tone, but still retaining certain desperation. "Three _Dresden_-class cruisers and a _Scharnhorst_-class battlecruiser. They're moving toward Shangri-La at attack speed, but they haven't launched mobile suits yet."

Upon hearing this, Bright tapped the touch panel on his right chair arm and watched as a holographic display appeared in front of him, showing the sensor data that Job just described. Sure enough, there were four red grid-lined images of Zeon ships in the distance from the blue grid-lined image of the colony, and the data boxes on the sides of those images indicated the enemy ships were making headway toward their position. Bright suppressed the urge to scowl at the images in turn. "Kikka, get Commander Orson on the line."

No sooner did Bright mutter that sentence did the image of a pale and pudgy face with dark brown hair emerge on the bridge's main monitor, its beady eyes widened and its mouth already open bellowing. Going by the timing of the face's emergence, Bright immediately knew that the owner of that face had moved to establish a comm. line with the _Ark Royal_ well before he had given the command. "Captain Bright, it's terrible! We've already lost over two squadrons worth of mobile suits during their initial attack! My garrison alone won't be able to hold off their advance! _Do something!_"

"I'm afraid our options are limited as well Commander." Bright replied as he deactivated his holodisplay, trying to keep his voice measured even when it looked like the man on the screen was about to do come apart at the seams, literally. "Most of my pilots and crew had gone into the colony prior to the attack, and we're only now recalling them. It will take some time for them to return to the ship and get ready for battle."

"I don't care! We need the _Ark Royal_'s mobile suits out there now! You're our only real defense against them!" Orson cried out once again, his voice echoing through the bridge's speaker system like a shrill whistle in a cavern.

Out of reflex Bright reached up and covered his right ear, as did several other crew members; for a large, wide girthed man, Commander Orson Perrault, commandant of Shangri-La's Star Force garrison had a wail that just reverberated against one's skin, even through a communications system. The irony wasn't lost on him either; when the _Ark Royal _had first arrived into the Durga System, the good Commander had let Bright know firsthand what he thought of him and his recent promotion to Captain, as well as his performance during the Battle of Arcturus, and it was only when Bright reminded Orson that not only did he outrank him, but that he was also reporting directly to Fleet Admiral Revil, did Orson back down and keep any further opinions to himself.

Still, as much delight as Bright would have taken inside at the sight of the same pompous bastard now begging for his help in fighting off the big, bad Zeon, he had other things to deal with. Just as he said, they were only now recovering their pilots and crew along with the _Gundam_ prototypes, so contrary to Orson's plight, he could not just send _Guncannons_ out to fight in the next split second. And even if he could, the odds were not in their favor anyway, not when the enemy's combined _Zaku_ force was just about even with Shangri-La and the _Ark Royal_'s forces. If all it took to wipe out two squadrons of _Guncannons_ and _Guntanks_ were three _Zakus_, then Bright had doubts his numbers would be able to hold the line against a force of approximately thirty, minus any that had been destroyed in the earlier skirmish of course.

"Commander, I assure you we will do everything in our power to defend Shangri-La if it comes down to it. But for the time being I must prepare my ship for immediate departure." Bright continued, tone remaining measured. "Once preparations are complete, we will depart Shangri-La at best speed; that will likely draw the Zeon away from the colony."

"What makes you believe they'll pursue you and not continue attacking us?" Orson inquired, his worried expression holding like a storm cloud.

"Because they're after the _Gundams_." Bright answered. "That much is obvious. Otherwise, what would they care about a strategically worthless mining colony such as this one?"

Orson visibly cringed at that last part, obviously recalling what exactly he was in command of and more than likely the reasons why he had been assigned here in the first place. It took some effort on his own part, but Bright managed to keep a smirk from forming on his face, just as the Commander recovered and began again. "And what about the _Gundams_? Can't you use them?"

At that, Bright allowed himself to narrow his gaze. "Two of the test pilots had been killed in the attack, which leaves only one unit operable. But even so, we would be revealing the results of Project V right to the Zeon."

"There's no point in that if the Zeeks already know about them!" Orson countered in a bellow. "As administrator of this colony, I'm ordering you to send out that last unit! Call it a live combat evaluation or whatever, but send it out before we're overwhelmed!"

At that, Bright scowled as he felt his patience finally give way. "Need I remind you, _Commander_, that neither I nor Project V are under your direct command, and that even with your position as Shangri-La's administrator you do not have the authority to give orders such as that?" Bright continued as his eyes bore into Orson's ever widening ones. "And may I also remind you that you are an officer of Star Force, and that your current manner is completely disgraceful. Now calm yourself; the situation is bad enough without you coming apart in front of my crew."

Orson's face quickly turned bright red and his teeth gritted together as it dawned on him that he had just been completely talked down to by an "upstart". Though he was clearly tempted to retort, he kept himself from doing so when he remembered that other people watching him on both sides of the screen; as such, he coughed into his fist as part of an ancient gesture of some kind, then nodded toward Bright as if continuing business at hand. "Alright Captain, then may I _recommend_ that we use the _Gundam_ in our defensive effort, as our _Guncannons_ and _Balls _will clearly be outmatched and the Zeon are already aware of its existence? At the very least it will buy you additional time to make launch preparations."

"I would rather _not_ reveal the _Gundam_'s capabilities at this time." Bright replied, before closing his eyes in an effort to hold back a sigh. "But I guess there's no choice now. I'll give the deployment order for the _Gundam_; in the meantime, start mounting your forces Commander." he then considered for a moment. "The Zeon will likely attempt to infiltrate the colony with their own mobile suits while their ships barrage it from the outside... our best chance is to draw the enemy suits into Shangri-La's AA network and dwindle their numbers, just long enough to give us an opening."

"And what if their ships just happen to be carrying nuclear missiles Captain?" Orson replied skeptically.

"If the enemy commander wanted to use nukes, he would have done so already." Bright countered. "Apparently this one doesn't want to commit genocide just yet, or he simply can't. Either way, there's enough already to worry about. Start your deployments when ready. _Ark Royal _out."

Soon enough, the chubby image of Commander Orson's face vanished from the main bridge monitor, allowing for a collective sigh of relief to be breathed by the bridge crew. But Bright wasn't relaxed yet, evident when he looked at his wrist chronometer impatiently. _Just where is Mirai? I ordered her to the bridge more than five minutes ago..._

As if on cue, the rear doors opened revealing Mirai, as well as another individual, one with black hair, a boyish face and possessing the rank pips of an Ensign, slung over her shoulders, as his right leg was held in a brace. Bright and some of the other present crew turned to see them. "Sorry, but the Ensign insisted on coming to the bridge himself." Mirai explained as she walked onto the bridge with her "passenger" in tow.

"What happened?" Bright insisted.

"It's nothing Captain." Ensign Katz Hawin stated as he hopped his way onto the bridge. "Random fire struck a building near where I was standing and the explosion threw shrapnel into my leg and some other places..."

"You should be in sickbay Ensign." Bright stated, before turning to Mirai. "Where's Doctor Mikhail?"

"Dead." Mirai shook her head. "He was in the bar Katz just described, along with a fair portion of the nursing staff. Sickbay's filling up fast as a result."

"I know I'm wounded, but the Zeek bastards didn't get me that badly." Katz tried to sound reassuring, in spite of the trace remnants of pain that Bright could detect in his voice. "I can still fly her out at your command."

Bright closed his eyes momentarily, then nodded. If Katz said he could fly the ship, then Bright was not in a position to deny him. "Very well, take the helm. We may need a fast exit in the next few minutes."

"Aye sir." Katz replied before making his way toward his post at the front of the bridge, Mirai helping him along the way.

"Captain, I have Commander Sleggar's team on approach, along with two transport trucks." Kikka spoke up again. "He's asking for permission to land."

"Two?" Bright looked up in confusion. "Put the Commander on Kikka."

Soon enough, Sleggar's visage appeared on the main monitor where Orson had been moments earlier, looking back from the cockpit of his _Guncannon_. Bright went straight to the point. "You're down by one Shrike Leader."

"You noticed." Sleggar retorted sarcastically. "That unit's the one with the test pilot I mentioned; he took off before you gave the recall order, claimed he had something to 'take care of'. I sent Shrike Two after him, for whatever good that does."

Even at the feeling of a headache coming on, Bright resisted the urge to rub his forehead. "Did you encounter enemy suits?"

"What was left of them." Sleggar replied, his expression turning to full seriousness. "Bright, that thing took down the _Zaku _team before we arrived."

At that, one could hear the _Ark Royal_'s bridge grow silent as except Bright, every present crew member looked up in disbelief. While it was not out of the ordinary for a single _Zaku_ to take down entire teams of _Guncannons_ and _Guntanks_, this was the first time anyone had heard of a single Federation mobile suit take down three _Zakus _at once, at least not without an ace pilot at the controls. As such, a certain collective feeling of hope began to grow amongst the bridge crew, as they came to realize exactly what the Federation had been doing out there all this time, and why they had been sent there themselves.

Bright however retained his professional outlook, although he did begin to wonder how effective the _Gundam_ would be against the Zeon taskforce outside, as well as reconsider the late Lieutenant Commander Bouchard's claims as factual when he had initially been disbelieving. _Just what kind of a monster did the Federation create out here?_

Then something else occurred to him. "What's the current state of the pilot?"

Sleggar considered that for a moment. "The encounter with the _Zakus _seemed to be his first live combat experience. That said, he's pretty shook up."

"I see." Bright replied with a grim nod. "Then I guess you'll be piloting a _Gundam _sooner than expected Shrike One."

"I don't know about that Bright." Sleggar stated in turn, certain force in his tone. "While I can't say why, I get the strangest feeling this kid's not out of the fight just yet..."

* * *

**Residential Block S03  
Shangri-La, Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

No sooner had the _Gundam_ landed did Amuro gaze out and realize the worst of his fears had been true.

Whether by chance of fate or through the guidance of some unseen hand, that one _Zaku_, the one piloted by that obnoxious, mongering Zeek, had indeed struck a target with its seemingly random beam machine gun burst before its comrade had tackled and corner it, and as he looked at the area where the beams had landed, Amuro truly hoped that bastard was roasting in the hottest portion of Hell now. The Bow family clinic, for whatever it had once represented, was no more; what remained was a pile of smoking ruin, complimented by a fire or two, while bits and pieces of it laid all around the surrounding neighborhood. The concussion wave had also damaged surrounding buildings as well, but looking at the crater where the clinic had once been, it was pretty obvious that the beams had struck dead center into the building, rendering its destruction along with those who had occupied it.

The test pilot shook his head at the latter thought while gritting his teeth together almost painfully; there was no way he was going to dismiss _her _for dead like that, not when he had been talking to her just over an hour ago. For whatever Fraw had meant to him, which even now he could not determine, she deserved better than to die like this, as a random casualty of a war she had held no part of. She had to still be there in that wreckage, somewhere, and Amuro would find her and bring her out. It was the least he could do for her, as long as she was still alive to be rescued.

And sure enough, a familiar image came through to his main monitor as he scanned the blast zone, which he quickly magnified.

"Fraw!" he let out, eyes widening in worry. She was laying amidst some debris in the clinic ruins, and though _Unit Alpha_'s scanners indicated that she was still alive, the lifesign was quite weak. As well, several cuts and bruises were detected across her form, as well as indications of further injuries from the resulting explosion.

As he fought himself to remain composed, Amuro reached out and opened _Unit Alpha_'s cockpit, before undoing his restraints and moving toward the ground with the zip line. No sooner than when his foot touched the street did he rush to her side and bring her head to face him. Hearing the sounds of her taking in breath lightly, Amuro called out her name again and started to lightly tap her hand against her face, hoping that the sensation would be enough to snap her back to consciousness. "Come on Fraw, don't die on me!" Amuro kept going as he kept up the effort.

"...Amuro...?" the word escaped from her lips in a murmur, right before her eyes opened marginally. Amuro visibly breathed a sigh of relief as this happened, just as Fraw began to come back to entirely.

And then Fraw dared to take a look at her surroundings and her face turned to despair. "...What happened...?" she let out, dazed but still able to take in the surrounding devastation.

"Zeon found us." Amuro explained hurriedly, getting Fraw to her feet. "They attacked the research base and a stray shot struck the clinic. Come on, we have to get out of here!"

"Not without my mom and dad!" Fraw replied in equal fashion. At that she, came out of Amuro's hold and began walking dazedly toward the ruin. "Mom! Dad!" she called out in desperation over and over, wandering aimlessly through the debris. Tears began to well up in her eyes with each passing moment of silence. "Come on! Answer me!"

After several moments of moving around and calling out in dwindling hope and growing anxiety, Fraw's eyes caught something in the debris: her mother's form laid out with a medical cabinet collapsed over her lower torso. "Mom!" Fraw yelled as she rushed to her side, grabbed hold of the cabinet and began to push up.

At first Amuro moved to help her, but when he moved closer he unconsciously took in the angle of the cabinet and realized. "Fraw, don't...!"

His warning came too late. As soon as Fraw had pushed the cabinet onto its side, she came to see the horrid truth: all that remained of her mother was the waist and up, her lower body having been vaporized from the explosion. Only a combination of charred flesh, a puddle of blood and a burned spinal cord ending existed where her stomach, pelvic area and legs had been. Fraw gaped in horror, as she felt her tears flow out increasingly while she remained still, as if her brain was unable to process a response. In her grief, she felt her legs give out from under her, causing her to fall on her knees, her eyes never leaving her mother's face.

"Fraw! Fraw!" Amuro called out to her repeatedly, rushing over to her side and kneeling next to her. He didn't need to look at her face to see the frozen horror and desperation that was strung across it, her amber eyes welled with tears and her mouth hung open, unable to mutter a single sound. Even so, he reached out to her and shook her. "Fraw, we have to get out of here! There's no time...!"

"They...no...it can't be..." Fraw murmured under breath, her eyes becoming flushed as her tears fell upon her mother's cheek. "...this...this...Amuro...they..."

And then, much akin to an antique glass or ceramic vase falling onto a titanium floor, the world around Fraw Bow shattered with a crash. Reaching back and clutching onto his grey and black tunic, Fraw let out a pain filled scream as she buried her face into Amuro's chest. Moving on an accord of their own, her arms reached around Amuro's body and to his back, where they gripped into his uniform and pushed him forward against her, all the while Fraw cried in anguish into the fabric against her face.

At first Amuro was completely caught off guard by the sudden contact, and he had to fight himself back from pushing her away; he was the kind of person that hated being touched, to the point that he became quite violent if anyone broke into his personal territory. This became even more difficult when he felt her fingers embed themselves deeper into his back, as if they were trying to puncture his skin. For her sake however, Amuro ignored his own pain, and instead with some hesitance, he wrapped his own arms around her and rested his head on top of hers in a rare display of empathy on his part, allowing his friend to weep for several moments longer.

In that instance, through his own special "awareness" combined with the physical contact, Amuro "saw" the chaos of emotions that had overcast Fraw's form like an Earth thunderstorm. Pain, sadness, anguish, confusion... all of them in their own unique colors and shapes, and all of them shifting and churning over one another in similar fashion to stirred ingredients in a chef's prized soup. They moved and weaved without control, feeding upon Fraw's loss and the overflowing memories of her parents that flashed in and out of her consciousness, growing with each passing moment to the point that they were almost overwhelming.

To Amuro Ray, it was a total change within his friend, one that he thought he would never had believed would occur. Whenever his "awareness" reached out over Fraw, he always found a certain brightness inside her, something warm and open to her surroundings, much like a star at the center of a great universe. Though he never admitted it to her, he always found relative comfort in that warmth, as it was something that would never have existed inside of him, and in a way he had envied her for it. But now that warmth was gone, snuffed out for the first time in its existence as harsh and unmerciful reality had reached out to this end of the universe, forcing Fraw Bow to experience the pain and suffering of war for the first time in her own existence. And inside himself, Amuro could feel his own wrath grow as his friend's overbearing emotions continued to wash over him.

Then he felt yet another image enter his mind's eye, this one in the form of Zeon ships, one crimson hulled battlecruiser and three standardized green hulled cruisers, moving toward the colony from the outside at flank speed. His eyes flickered open at that; it would not be long before the follow up attack began, and he would be damned if he let the Zeeks get away with any more.

"Listen to me... Listen to me!" Amuro stated, getting Fraw to stop sobbing, at least for a moment. "I'm not going to leave you here! You understand?"

Upon that proclamation, Fraw looked up at him with pain filled eyes, causing Amuro to nearly wince before continuing. "The _Ark Royal _is still in the harbor! I can see to it that you're allowed aboard, but we have to go now!"

"But..." Fraw murmured, looking away a little.

"No buts! I'm not about to leave you in a war zone!" Amuro stated with finality, getting Fraw back to her feet again. "I know you lost much just now, but you still have _me_, and I promise I won't abandon you! I'll get you to Earth, just like you wanted! Do you understand?"

Though Fraw didn't respond with words, she looked back at him with tear shimmered eyes, all the while deep inside her, Amuro could feel certainty beginning to emerge within the sadness. It was not much, but still enough for what Amuro needed at the moment. "That's it..." he said, getting her to move. "Just walk to the suit, and I'll take care of the rest..."

Suddenly both felt the wind kick up around them as a red colored _Guncannon Trooper_ descended from the sky and touched down next to _Unit Alpha_. Amuro was quick to notice an emblem on its left shoulder, that of a red haired woman wearing a black, winged knight's helm, cast against a grey and black outlined shield.

**"Zeon are about to attack the colony again!"** a female voice spoke out over the _Guncannon_'s external speaker. **"**_**Unit Alpha**_**'s been ordered to aid in the defense, immediately!"  
**  
Once again, Amuro felt an image appear within his consciousness, this time depicting the pilot inside the massive mobile suit: a blonde haired, blue eyed woman clad in a blood red Star Force pilot suit that matched the red scheme on her unit, looking down at him through her suit's main camera. For some reason, he felt as though the woman was emanating a strange pressure...

However, Amuro shook his head before the image could develop further, instead looking back up at the _Guncannon_'s visor camera. "Alright I'll head out there!" he called out to the behemoth. "In exchange, I want you to take her back to the _Royal_! Promise me you'll do that and see that she's allowed aboard!"

At first, Amuro expected the pilot to respond with how such a request violated some Star Force regulation, but instead the _Guncannon_ pilot only seemed to consider that while taking in the scene behind them. After a moment passed, the pilot made her suit's head nod in acknowledgement. **"I promise."**

With that, the _Guncannon _knelt down and reached out with its left hand, awaiting its passenger. Amuro turned to Fraw and gave her a reassuring look. "It's alright. She'll keep to her word."

Fraw, though hesitant to leave Amuro's side, knew that there wasn't time for argument. However, even when she was on top of the _Guncannon_'s metal palm, she didn't let go of his hand just yet, instead looking back at him with strained and pain filled eyes. It was only when Amuro looked back into those eyes for a moment before nodding to her unspoken question that Fraw finally released him, even when it was apparent that she didn't want to, was afraid to.

At that, the _Guncannon _then stood up to its full height before drawing more power from its thrusters and taking off into the air, leaving a stream of exhaust in its wake. Amuro then turned back to his own mobile suit, but not before looking back at the ruined clinic one last time.

The fury in his heart only grew from that action.

* * *

**Zeon **_**Scharnhorst**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Richthofen**_**  
Shangri-La, Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

As the colony continued to grow closer in the bridge's main monitor, Char, who was now sitting in his command chair, couldn't help but rest his chin on top of the knuckles of his clasped white gloved hands, which in turn were supported by his elbows against the chair arms. It was a position humans were known to take when in deep thought or fascination, which was exactly the case for Char as he studied the still distant Shangri-La more, evidenced by the eyes of his mask never moving away from the digitized depiction of the cylinder.

Through his extrasensory perception he could feel that the colony was alive with activity, both from the civilian population scrambling in fear to the local shelters and from the Federals reacting to his fleet's approach while making preparations for a counterattack. While he was somewhat irritated about Denim's team jumping the gun in the first place only to wind up destroyed, thus taking three _Zakus _out of the battle that was about to commence, Char was grateful for the fact that they had succeeded in sewing confusion into their enemies, as well as taken down a fair number of mobile suits before they eventually died out. Sure, the whole gambit had cost him his plans for a surprise attack, but the situation was still far from unsalvageable; if anything, odds still valued his side by a great margin, even if he was about to attack in the open.

However, what bothered Char was not the knowledge that the Feddies were scrambling to intercept his force, but rather the mysterious pressure he had felt only moments before and was again feeling within the walls of the colony as he continued to reach out further. In spite of its past briefness in his mind's eye, Char could not shake the memory it had imprinted on him, more so because of its familiarity; throughout his service to Zeon's Imperial Guard and well before it, Char had been all over the galaxy and had "felt" many presences, each one holding a unique, for lack better description, "texture" to them that distinguished one from the other. Each one had its individual effects on him, whether be it positive or negative, causing him in turn to react in acceptance or repulsion while in their proximity. Having said that though, this was the first time he had felt a presence out there that felt so familiar, such that he knew he had encountered it at least once before yet could not quite place it in where or when. Not only that, but this creature actually seemed to _react_ to his own presence, much like when two magnets were placed beside one another. All of this combined together into an especially strong pressure that emanated through his psyche like light from a star, enough to verify to Char that not only did this woman have power just like him, but she had _great _power that set her apart from the majority he had come into contact with before.

And then there was the feeling of yet another strong pressure emanating from the colony, one that he had been feeling off and on since Denim's team had made their attack. Unlike the other one that he was sensing, which remained on a stable, continuous stream of energy yet holding a power and effect akin to the glow of a nova, this pressure came and went at various times, almost completely at random. Sometimes it would reach out Char with a minor pressure, one relatively dismissible and unreadable in nature, while other times it came onto him with the force of a beam shot, all the while transmitting various emotions, namely confusion and growing anger, into Char's own conscience mind. Only Char's mental discipline kept both the pressure or the accompanying emotions from influencing his own state of mind, but even so, he could not keep the strain off of his face. Fortunately, his mask did well to shield his face, and with it his internal turmoil, from the rest of the _Richthofen_'s bridge; one of its many advantages.

_But even so, just what is it that I'm sensing out there...? _Char thought, continuing his gaze toward the colony while his alternate sense also continued to dwell over its confines. Even as he increased the reach of his senses, Char could not find any answer to his inquiry, just those same two pressures and the same feelings of confusion from the general populace over and over again.

"Captain." Dren spoke up from beside him. His subordinate's voice snapping him out of his thoughts, Char turned toward the other man and nodded for him to continue. "All ships have reached optimal firing range. Bow beam cannons are fully charged and ready to fire at your command. Mobile suits are on standby as well."

"Good." Char replied, while looking back at the colony again, his eyes once more focusing on the spinning cylinder. Soon enough his trademark smirk reformed upon his lips. "Begin barrage and mobile suit deployments immediately."

Nodding in turn at the orders, Dren turned back to the rest of the crewmen on the _Richthofen_'s bridge and snapped his fingers, passing "the word" along to each and every one of them. Moments later, the space displayed on the bridge's main monitor lit up as the _Richthofen_'s six bow mounted beam cannons open fired, sending twelve yellow streams of energy shooting directly at the colony, which in turn was complimented by the beam shots of the other ships. The beams found their target near immediately, and though they ended up doing moderate damage to the colony's outer walls, the effect Char had wanted had been accomplished all the same, as his special senses picked up on the newly increased anxiety and panic coming from within the cylinder.

The barrage only continued from there, as more beam fire, as well as long-range missiles, were fired almost continuously to hammer away at the colony. As such, it wasn't long before the colony itself began to return fire, but by that point the Zeon ships had been most prepared and were able to evade the Feddie oriented beam shots without losing their current momentum. In the end, they would matter little, if at all, as the Zeon ships soon followed up their barrage with mobile suit launches, symbolized by the sight of _Zakus _shooting off the catapult decks of the Imperial warships.

As he watched one such _Zaku_ take off from the _Richthofen_'s dorsal deck, Char felt his grin deepen even further. "You might have been able to take down three of our mobile suits before." he murmured in the darkest tone possible. "But I wonder if you can just as easily hold out against our full force..."

* * *

Flitting in between the beam fire that traded to and from Shangri-La and the Zeon warships respectively, the _Zakus_ closed in on the hampered space colony at great speed, appearing more like a swarm of green tinted meteors as opposed to a collection of war machines. Each one of the Zeon pilots knew what they were tasked to do; while their motherships continuously bombarded the colony and depleted it of its defenses and outer hull, the _Zakus_ would storm inside and perform mop up operations from where the first team had left off; operations that may or may not include the local citizenry, but only if deemed necessary. But at the same time, they also knew that the Federation forces within were not yet entirely neutralized, and that even if they were not to encounter the prototype mobile suit that the taskforce had been sent to "observe" in the first place, chances were they would run into a few _Guncannons _or so.

Indeed, this appeared to only be preordained. As the _Zaku_ group approached the colony, the main hangar bays of Shangri-La opened and revealed a set of _Guncannon_ and _Ball_ units, all colored in the Star Force standard grey, and all ready to meet the Zeon head on in defense of their base. Only a few moments later, the Federation units took off and shot off to intercept the Zeon units, their shoulder mounted cannons blazing away once they entered firing range. Naturally, only a few select _Zakus_ were shot down during the opening barrage, while the rest easily outmaneuvered the Feddie units' fire and closed in with their own beam machine guns firing back. The _real _battle, as it were, had just begun.

As he put more acceleration into his own _Guncannon Trooper_, Ensign Kou Uraki simultaneously fought back against the growing feeling of despair in his gut. For him and several other pilots assigned to Shangri-La, this was going to be his first actual battle as opposed to another simulation run, and deep down inside Kou for the life of him could not figure out if he was ready or not. The sight of the _Zakus _speeding up and growing larger in his monitor, all the while shooting rapid fire yellow beams across the dead of space, only threatened to make him hesitant, and Kou knew enough that he was dead the moment that happened. As such, he bit back the feeling and accelerated, returning fire with his beam cannons and beam rifle.

Beside him, two other _Guncannon Troopers_, piloted by his wingmen and fellow Ensigns Chuck Keith and Robin Karcs respectively, also fired off their weapons into the oncoming swarm. Despite their effort however, they could not keep were unable to score any significant hits as the _Zakus _all but outright danced around their fire, while the return came in the form of a machine gun spray of beam energy. Only the timely activation of his beam shield saved Kou's mobile suit from being shot full of holes, as was the same case with Keith and Robin's units.

"Don't let them get close!" Lieutenant Dick Allen, the commander of Shangri-La's mobile suit force, shouted as he himself spear a _Zaku_ with a well executed dual beam cannon blast, blowing off the entire upper torso and causing the rest to explode. He was forced to evade however when another _Zaku _came surging forward and attempted to slash at him with its beam axe.

Kou himself was also forced to send his _Guncannon_ into a sharp dodge to the left as a pair of _Zakus_ came streaking at him in a rotating formation, continually raining beam shots down over him. As such, Kou brought up his beam shield again and fired back with his beam rifle, but was unable to hit either machine. In turn, the _Zakus _continued undeterred and forced Kou back, while Keith and Robin attempted to move in and save their beleaguered teammate. "Kou, get out of there!" Keith called out as he fired more beams.

"Easier said than done...!" Kou muttered, as he also continued to strike down one of the _Zakus_, but still unable to lance a beam shot through.

"Damn it, these things are fucking _unreal_!" Robin called out as he and Keith focused their attention on the other _Zaku_, having just as much luck with their target as Kou was with his.

Biting back his fear and frustration, Kou continued tapping the trigger on his control stick. The _Guncannon_'s beam rifle continued to fire, but again the _Zaku_ he had targeted continued to zig-zag around his shots in an almost obnoxious manner. In response, the _Zaku_'s beam machine gun sputtered out, lancing a spray of shots that took off the left leg of Kou's mobile suit. Immediately the _Guncannon_'s computer screamed a warning on the battle damage, but Kou ignored it and fired back with his shoulder cannons, causing the _Zaku_to fly away from him before it could do any more damage.

Off to his left Kou could see one of the other _Guncannons_ explode from the blaze of a _Zaku_ machine gun, its remnants flying in all vectors while its attacker jetted away for new prey. Further on, another _Guncannon_ and an accompanying _Ball _were cut down when a pair of Zeon suits closed in with their beam axes brandished, the helpless pilot of the former unit never being able to eject. Kou shuddered with fear, even as he continued to fight his own targets; his side was being overwhelmed and overwhelmed fast. Minute after minute, more of his allies were being cut down like weeds, their spirited defenses all but rendered meaningless, while the Zeeks continued to remain strong. And Kou for the life of him could not find a way to change the tide, not when he was piloting a cannon-fodder mech against Zeon's perfected mono-eyed killing machines. It was all he could do to survive, and even that didn't look to last much longer.

As if to emphasize that point, Kou was forced to watch from the corner of his eye as a _Zaku_ swooped in from behind Robin's _Guncannon _and launched a missile spray directly into its back. The armor held initially, but soon buckled against the continuous explosions until it finally broke, causing the entire mobile suit to erupt in a fiery explosion. Robin's death scream echoed throughout Kou's cockpit speakers before being abruptly cut off.

"Robin!" Keith called out helplessly as he watched his comrade die. It was only natural, as this was the first time he had seen a comrade die right in front of him. Unfortunately however, the pause caused by his shock was truly ill-timed.

Almost immediately, Kou was quick to notice that the same _Zaku_ was now swooping around and moving at Keith's unit, brandishing its beam axe for a close-in kill. "Keith, to your left!" he called out, as he swung his _Guncannon_ around and began firing off rifle shots. But despite his effort, the _Zaku _had no trouble banking and dodging whatever he shot at it, and it wasn't long before it was looming over Keith's unit, it's red mono-eye flaring and causing Keith to cry out.

But before the _Zaku_ could slice into Keith's machine, its mono-eye shifted to its own left as if just noticing something, before the mobile suit shot up to avoid a beam rifle shot. It was then both Kou and Keith noticed Lieutenant Allen's _Guncannon Commander_ burst onto the scene, firing more potshots at the _Zaku _before finally striking it through the torso and causing it to explode in a similar flare as Robin's suit.

"Hold it together Ensign!" Allen called out as he shot by, only to be intercepted by another _Zaku_'s beam axe. Out of trained reflex, Allen deployed his left arm mounted beam shield and deflected the attack, all the while lowering his shoulder cannons to strike the _Zaku_ point blank. Unfortunately, the _Zaku_ pilot saw the attack coming and climbed over the _Guncannon_ to avoid the twin neon golden blasts, before swinging around and sawing the Federation mobile suit around its torso, cutting through the cockpit along the way. The _Commander _exploded not long after.

"Lieutenant!" both Kou and Keith called out the same time, while Kou subconsciously banked as the _Commander_'s severed right arm, still clutching the beam rifle, launched by him from the explosion. Suddenly feeling innate anger rise up within him, he let out a roar of his own, turned and his rifle, cannons and vulcans all at once, spraying continuous beam fire into the path of the _Zaku_. The _Zaku _naturally dodged the blasts, arcing in its flight path and banking to and from the beam shots, again with such grace and motion that Kou's attacks seemed more like a minor hindrance to it than a threat.

But Kou didn't back down. Pushing his _Guncannon_'s thrusters to their maximum output while ignoring Keith's calls, Kou sent his mobile suit rocketing through space after its prey, and though he knew there was no way his mobile suit would be able to outrun the _Zaku_, it would at least keep up long enough for him to get a shot in. Continuously dodging one explosion after another as the battle raged around him, he kept his focus on his quarry and leveled his rifle and cannons at the same time, exchanging fire from one or the other while the _Zaku _swayed between the shots, at times flipping around to deflect a shot with its right shoulder mounted beam shield.

It wasn't until one of Kou's shots blasted through the _Zaku_'s right leg, severing it from the ankle down, did the Zeon pilot finally get serious. Twisting around in midflight, it returned fire with its machine gun, to which Kou banked to the left while firing shot after shot from his own guns, letting out another battle cry as he did so. Fortunately for him, the _Zaku _had paused in flight in order to gain a bead on him, and as such it was unable to dodge when Kou's shots came streaking in, slamming into the green mobile suit's torso, one after the other, until the entire suit detonated from blasts, while the return fire was deflected with Kou's beam shield.

Watching the Zeon mobile suit detonate on his monitor, Kou felt a rising feeling come over him as he realized he had not only shot down a _Zaku_, something only the best Star Force pilots were capable of doing, but he had also made his first kill ever. Even so however, that jubilance didn't last long, as Keith's voice came shrieking over the radio again. _"Kou! Behind you!"_

And at that, Kou Uraki turned just in time to see another _Zaku_ bearing down on him with its machine gun raised, mono-eye flaring with vehemence. The young Ensign barely got off a scream before the Zeon pulled the trigger.

* * *

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Shangri-La, Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

The phones were ringing off the hook, to borrow a certain anachronistic cliché that had somehow survived the transition from Anno Domini to Galactic Century. The bridge of the _Ark Royal_ was throbbing with activity as the crew listened into the battle happening just outside the colony while making ready to launch their ship at a moment's notice. By now the crew members that had been on shore leave in the colony had been recalled, including the wayward mobile suit pilots of the shipboard 13th Carrier Assault Group, while the ship herself was in full functioning order. But even so, if the tide of battle didn't change soon, the _Ark Royal_ would end up launching into a proverbial maelstrom of _Zakus_, one that was headed off by the contingent of Zeon ships that were currently bombarding the colony. Needless to say, panic was abundant, even as the bridge crew went about their jobs. The entire colony shaking from the fire of the enemy warships didn't help either.

Again even so, it was the communications chatter that impacted everyone the most at that time, Bright Noa included, as he felt his hands clench around the armrests of his chair as a result. Most of the chatter came in the form of _Guncannon_ pilots calling out their attacks and/or requesting support, but all too often the death cry of a pilot sounded followed by the telltale noise of static, and each time that occurred a renewed chill ran across the bridge. Bright felt his teeth ground from behind his lips as another scream sounded out, the helplessness threatening to overwhelm him from inside. Sure, he knew he could easily order out the _Ark Royal_'s four mobile suit squadrons into battle to aid Shangri-La's garrison, and he knew if push came to shove he could order the _Ark Royal_ herself to deploy and add its own massive firepower into the mix, all of which would give his side a greater chance. But by doing so, the cold, logical side of himself knew, he would also be endangering his own ship and crew needlessly, as well as jeopardizing his mission here, and Bright of all people knew the Federation could not afford to lose a ship like the _Ark Royal_ nor the _Gundam _prototypes she was meant to carry.

As such, Bright remained silent and resilient, forcing himself to drown out the screaming voice in the back of his head telling him to do , he waited until the one ace in the hole that he had at this point appeared.**  
**  
"I have Shrike Two and what I'm assuming is the _Gundam_ on approach." Kikka reported as she continued watching over her display, her voice somehow managing to overcome the chatter.

Bright nodded at that. "Good, then we can finally..."

No more than a second after Bright uttered that sentence did a single, _giant_ humanoid shape appear directly in front of the _Ark Royal_'s bridge. Right after, every head on the bridge snapped around, a few letting out gasps of surprise and awe, as they found themselves gazing over the form of _Gundam Unit Alpha_, whose yellow camera eyes looked back toward the bridge. Bright in turn found himself rising from his chair just as a face appeared on the bridge's main monitor.

"_Unit Alpha_ to _Ark Royal_. Sorry I'm late, but I had to pick some things up." spoke a young brown haired boy dressed in a white Star Force normal suit with Lieutenant Junior Grade markings, just as the mobile suit itself reached up and displayed a rather exotic looking beam rifle. "Requesting sitrep."

Bright visibly blinked as he looked back at that face. _A kid?_ He realized, completely disbelieving of what his eyes told him. _The pilot of the Federation's latest wonder weapon is a _kid_?_

Nonetheless, he was quick enough to recover and respond in kind. "This is Captain Bright Noa of the _Ark Royal_. The colony is currently being attacked by four Zeon warships and multiple mobile suits. We can launch at any time, but we need you to clear us a path through the war zone."

"Can I count on support from _Beta_ and _Gamma_?" the pilot inquired, a certain edge becoming noticeable in his voice.

Bright shook his head, trying to ignore the sting in his gut. "Negative. Their pilots were among those killed at White Base, and none of my pilots are qualified to operate them. You'll have to make due _Alpha_."

The pilot seemed to take that in for a moment, before confirming with a nod. "Roger."

That done, the _Gundam_ turned around and launched toward the end of the harbor, leaving a bright thrust trail from its four back thrusters. As he watched it depart, Bright allowed himself to sit back down onto his chair again. _The mobile suit seems impressive enough, but the pilot..._

Again he shook his head, and instead concentrated on the business at hand. "Begin pre-launch procedures." he ordered, as he took back to his seat.

* * *

With a loud metallic thump, the red coated _Guncannon Trooper_ touched down in the _Ark Royal_'s recovery bay, where it switched from its thrusters to its legs for movement. Fraw continued to watch with reddened eyes as the great Federation mobile suit marched further, until it came across an equally massive hatch, which immediately opened upon the suit's approach. Beyond the hatch, the young girl could behold what was obviously a hangar, one filled more _Guncannons_, all colored in grey and standing in lined racks along the hangar walls, while mechanics dressed in orange jumpsuits swarmed over them.

**"Hang on, I'll put you down in a second."** the _Guncannon_ pilot informed her from her suit's loudspeaker, just as she made her suit walk forward again, this time moving toward an empty rack that was next to a noticeably dark blue _Guncannon_, that seemed somewhat bulkier than the others as well as possessing a curious insignia on its left shoulder: a bright blue and yellow enflamed bird with a downward pointed sword clutched in its talons. Obviously an ace's mark alongside the custom colors, similar to the red coating and the helmed woman emblem on the _Guncannon _that she was riding, but Fraw wouldn't have recognized them even if she was of clear mind at that time.

However, her mind wasn't obscured enough that she noticed two other additions that stood out in the hangar: twin mobile suits, neither of which were a _Guncannon_, painted grey like all the others but looking overall more humanoid than the rest of the lot. Unlike the other mobile suits in the hangar, there were no techs surrounding these two, and they both seemed perfectly secure in their respective holding racks. Taking all these details in, Fraw soon realized that both were exactly the same as the mobile suit she had seen with Amuro earlier, and as such were more than likely the Federation's new prototypes. As well as the likely reasons the Zeon were attacking the colony in the first place.

That thought again brought to light the image of Fraw's bifurcated mother in her memories, and the young girl had to squeeze eyes tight in order to keep the tears from flowing again. Fortunately the feeling of sudden movement was enough to drown the image out, as Fraw opened her eyes again and realized the _Guncannon _had lowered its now open hand to ground level. Not wanting to hold the pilot up any more than she already had, Fraw slipped off of the metal palm and took a second to float to the ground; it was then she realized, much to her apparent surprise and in spite of the floating mechanics around her, that there was no gravity in the hangar.

"Standard protocol." a voice spoke from some distance away, causing Fraw to turn and see a man dressed in a blue Star Force normal suit slowly float down to her. "We tend to keep the hangar grav-plating inactive. Greater ease of movement and all that."

The man then dropped in front of Fraw and nodded toward her, just as the _Guncannon_ nestled into its rack and deactivated. "I'm Commander Sleggar Law, and the pilot of that _Guncannon _is my subordinate, Lieutenant Sayla Mass. Don't worry, she explained everything."

Both he and Fraw looked back as the said mobile suit's cockpit hatch open and a woman dressed in a red Star Force normal suit floated out. Midway down to ground level, the woman removed her helmet to reveal her platinum blond hair, which was defined by two bangs on either side of her face and a ponytail coming down the back, and sapphire blue eyes to her surroundings.

Once she touched down right next to Fraw, the Commander continued, this time taking on a sympathetic look to the still dazed woman. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry about what happened." he said simply. "I promise you however, I'll take it back to the Zeeks the next chance I get."

Fraw looked back up at him, and upon seeing that his words were legitimate, she nodded. "Thank you Commander." she said in a solemn, broken tone, one befitting someone that had just lost everything in the blink of an eye.

Sleggar felt his heart tighten at the tone of her reply, which was not unfamiliar to him. He had heard it before in others who had lost everything to the Zeon, and it was always a heartrending experience for him whenever he picked it up again, especially from a person that he had just met. Needless to say, he was _definitely _going to fulfill that promise later on. "It won't be long before we depart." he continued purposely. "I've already ringed the quartermaster and he's set aside a place for you on Deck Six. Sayla will show you the way."

Sayla nodded in acknowledgement and took hold of the girl, gesturing her toward a nearby elevator. Slowly, Fraw took her hand and the two floated off toward their destination, both women soon entering the elevator and disappearing. From that point forward, no more words were exchanged, as two distinct images continued to flicker in and out of Fraw's mind: the image of her mother's corpse, and the image of Amuro reaching out to her.

On that, Fraw felt her own eyes close as she forced herself to focus on the latter image. Slowly but surely, the prevailing image of her dead mother was pushed away, becoming replaced with the memories of Amuro reaching for her, holding her, telling her that he was not going to leave her behind. "Amuro..." she murmured quietly under her breath, some strength returning to her voice as a result.

So concentrated was she on those memories that Fraw didn't notice Sayla turning a corner glance toward her. Nor did she notice the apparent interest behind the Star Force pilot's own eyes.

* * *

There was a sickly feeling in Amuro's stomach as the _Gundam _shot like Terran lightning out of the colony and into the void of space. Things were a lot worse than he had expected, even after Captain Bright had explained it to him; the flashes of light before him, each one symbolizing the destruction of a mobile suit and the vanishing of a life, were many and number. It also didn't help that according to his sixth sense, the majority of those flashes were Federation suits; Amuro could literally "feel" the Star Force pilots dropping out of existence, one after the other, while the Zeon prodded on.

As he closed the distance to the battlefield, Amuro could see the resulting combat in more detail. He could see the _Guncannons_ and _Zakus_ weaving around in space on bright flares from their backpack thrusters, exchanging beam fire with one another in a grand display of dogfighting. Though the _Guncannons_ were easily the ones being driven out by the _Zakus_, the bulky cannon laden mobile suits fought on and continued to hold the line, even as their numbers dwindled with each passing second. From that, Amuro could also see the beam shots exchanged from Shangri-La's built-in defense weapons and the Zeon ships in the distance, with the warships managing to evade the incoming fire while the larger and immobile colony held up against the onslaught. The _Gundam_'s sensors did well to detect and project all of these things before Amuro's eyes, and there was not a second where he missed even a small portion of the battle, much less the sight of a mobile suit exploding and the sickening feeling of death that followed.

Amuro cringed at the sight of it all; it was almost completely overwhelming to him, with or without his acute awareness. His breathing was now coming out in quick pants as a result, much like how it had been just after he had destroyed that third _Zaku_. Even so, Amuro fought against it, focusing himself on the task at hand, all the while ignoring the feeling of sweat pouring down his forehead and the near shaking of his hands against the _Gundam_'s control sticks. Even the inner wrath he continued to feel towards the attacking Zeon, fueled further by the memories of the ruined White Base and the destroyed Bow family clinic, were unable to overcome his apprehensiveness.

Tapping a nearby switch, a targeting visor soon folded from the back of the chair and over the right side of Amuro's face, giving him a firsthand look through the targeting sensor on the _Gundam_'s beam rifle, which in turn automatically raised into firing position. Through the melee Amuro sighted the nearest _Zaku _and immediately targeted it for a beam shot. Yet even as the indicator showed that he was right on target, he was unable to pull the trigger back; instead, his finger twitched as his breathing heightened even further. At that he tried to will himself to open fire, over and over in fact as his mobile suit flew closer and closer to the target, but no matter how many times he attempted to force himself into the fight, he just couldn't make that trigger pull.

And he knew why too: once he opened fire, he would take a human life again and would be committed to this battlefield. And it wasn't like how it was in the colony, where the Zeon were attacking his base and slaughtering helpless people; out here, the Zeon pilots were just doing their jobs and were fighting against those who had just as much opportunity to kill them, even if they were handicapped by obsolete machinery. Amuro could not shake that knowledge and feeling away no matter how hard he tried, nor could he shake his past words to Fraw from his memory. He was only a test pilot. This wasn't his war to fight.

But even so, he narrowed his eye into the visor, focusing as the crosshairs again aligned with the _Zaku_, which was currently unaware of his presence and instead exchanging fire with another _Guncannon_. He was only a trigger pull away from destroying it, but he knew it wouldn't be for long. He had to kill it now.

_I'll fire...! I'll fire...!_ Amuro's mind called out in a mantra over and over again, even as his finger continued to twitch over the trigger. The mantra only increased as he watched the _Zaku_'s mono-eye shift toward his own direction, signaling that his enemy was aware of him.

And then the memory of the ruined Bow clinic hit him again, with the sight of Fraw uncovering her mother's remains followed by the feeling of her crying into him. Along with that memory, his incentive returned. _**I'LL FIRE!**_

He pressed the trigger and single neon streak of energy shot from the Gundam's hyper beam rifle and into the targeted _Zaku_ just as it had turned toward him. The beam had no trouble drilling through the _Zaku_'s cockpit and out the other side, and in that moment Amuro felt the pilot disappear in a flash of light before the green machine of war exploded in great and drastic fashion. All that remained were debris, which flew aimlessly in all possible vectors.

All at once Amuro's indicators went off and his sixth sense spiked from the detected enemy activity. The other _Zakus_ had now noticed him, evidenced by the shifting of their mono-eyes toward his position, which flared with animosity. Two of them were already flying at him, letting loose their machine guns in near synchronized fashion as they attempted to box him in. Adrenaline now pumping into system and making him focus while dulling out his thoughts, Amuro responded by launching his _Gundam_ behind the _Zakus_, then turning around and lancing another beam shot through one of the attackers. The other _Zaku_, however, managed to evade his second shot as its pilot quickly recovered from the shock of seeing a mobile suit blur in front of him and move behind him. Amuro's further shots were no more successful, and the _Zaku_ managed to streak away, at least until Amuro had the _Gundam _shoot directly into its flight path, where he promptly finished it off with a near point blank rifle shot.

With his _sixth_ kill now established, Amuro twisted the _Gundam_ around and targeted the next nearby _Zaku_, which was attacking a _Guncannon_, before having his mobile suit jet after it. This time the _Zaku_ pilot detected his advance beforehand, as he turned his mobile suit away from its earlier target and fired all six of its hip mounted missiles directly at the _Gundam_. To that, Amuro simply streaked after the missiles and let loose his vulcans, spraying beam fire into the guided warheads and causing them to explode in great, premature detonations. The _Gundam_ then shot through the resulting flames, barely hampered, before coming upon the now panicked _Zaku_ and slamming its left hand onto its torso, where Amuro fired off a beam gauntlet shot that tore through the entire frame, cockpit and all. He then blasted away as the _Zaku _exploded along with the others.

Another warning from his sixth sense shot through Amuro's system right before the _Gundam_'s sensors detected yet three more _Zakus_ coming at him from his left, all firing their beam machine guns at once. With barely a moment to spare, he activated his beam shield and deflected the raining beam shots. He then attempted to move away, but the _Zakus_ only increased the ferocity of their attack, forcing him to remain and hold the beam shield in place. Obviously they were trying to pin him down while another one of their number moved in close. Amuro gritted his teeth under the fire, before having the _Gundam_ fly directly in between the formation of the three. Once he was that close, he fired his hyper beam rifle through one _Zaku_, before turning around and blasting a second _Zaku_ as well. The third quickly abandoned its machine gun in favor of its beam axe and then moved to strike at the _Gundam_'s back, but Amuro was quick enough to twist it around and, not having time to raise the _Gundam_'s rifle, open fired with his vulcans. The spray of beam fire quickly shot the _Zaku_'s armor apart, before the entire mobile suit detonated along with its comrades.

But even so, Amuro knew he was far from done. _Zakus_ and _Guncannons_ continued to duel around him, while the four Zeon warships continued to attack the colony not far behind him. As such, he had the _Gundam_ launch forward toward his next selected target, hyper beam rifle again raised to strike and his earlier panic all but forgotten.

* * *

**Zeon **_**Scharnhorst**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Richthofen**_**  
Shangri-La, Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

"Captain Char, you might want to take a look at this!" the _Richthofen_'s sensor operator called out urgently from his station.

A moment later, Char moved from his command chair over to the sensor station with Dren right next to him. The sensor operator did his best not to shiver under the impassive gaze of the Captain's mask, especially when his velvet smooth voice spoke up. "What do you have?"

"I'm not sure. It looks like a mobile suit, but it's not in the database." the operator replied, while gesturing over his display. "And I can't get a fix on it."

Just as Dren was about to question that, the answer came when one of the red blips, meant to describe hostile units, descended into the melee at a rate far faster than any _Guncannon_ or _Zaku_. At the same time, several green blips, meant to denote Zeon units, blinked out of existence before the red blip flitted away to another area.

Dren visibly blinked at the display. "That's impossible..." he muttered, before looking back at the operator. "Your display is obviously malfunctioning."

"No." Char suddenly spoke up, before looking away from the display and back toward the main screen, where the battle was continuing to be displayed. "The sensors are working perfectly. This isn't a standard Federation mobile suit we're dealing with here."

Both Dren and the operator looked up in minute shock at that. "Could it be the Project V prototype?"

"I'm not sure." Char replied, before focusing his senses. He reached his special powers outward, past the _Richthofen_'s hull and into the distant mobile suit battle, where he could "see" the _Guncannons_ and _Zakus _battling each other as well as "feel" the mixture of emotions their respective pilots were giving off. Amidst their number he felt that familiar presence again; not the one he had sensed when the taskforce had first arrived but the second one. The one that had was wild and unstable, full of power one moment and then diminished the next.

Just as it had been so on the sensor display, Char felt the presence flit around from one area of the battlefield to another, such that even with his own advanced powers he couldn't get a fix on it. Yes he could feel the pilot and his emotional state, which was just as unstable as it had been minutes ago, but because it didn't stay in one place for too long, he wasn't able to get a direct line of sight, for lack of better phrase, on it. For the same reason, he also couldn't get a view of the mobile suit in question either; all Char was able to behold was little more than a shadow with twin neon yellow eyes and the feeling of great power emanating from it, far beyond what he would find in a _Guncannon_ or a _Ball_. By contrast to that, he easily picked up on the fear and dread any of his pilots held when they laid eyes on such a monster, at least until they disappeared from existence in the next few moments.

_Intriguing..._ Char thought with a small, barely noticeable smirk as he felt the mobile suit continue to weave havoc across the battlefield. Obviously he couldn't let that go on, but his own pilots were also, just as obviously, no match for it. As such, Char decided that it was time for his own intervention. "I'll go out there as well. Have my _Zaku _prepared at once."

Dren nodded in response, knowing better than to question the Captain's skill in a mobile suit in spite of whatever it was he would face out there. "I'll hold the ship here in case you need fire support. But regardless, be careful sir. This enemy isn't something you've faced before."

This time, Char flashed a more visible smirk. "I'll keep that in mind Dren." he replied, before turning and heading toward the nearest elevator. Minutes later Char emerged into the _Richthofen_'s primary hangar deck, now dressed in his customized red and grey normal suit. As the normal suit came with a helmet of its own, he had to remove his ornate silver one, which left his full head of blonde hair uncovered; he still retained his mask though. With a gentle push off the deck, Char immediately began to float toward his intended destination, which was standing some distance on the left side of the hangar.

Bearing the stylized antennae fin of a commander unit and painted from head to toe in scarlet, as well as holding its pilot's signature marking, a golden clef, on its right shoulder shield, Char's personalized _Zaku_ stood boldly as an object of admiration and fear. This was the very mobile suit Char had used to demolish the EF's Star Force in so many battles and the very unit that he had earned his feared alias from. If a standard _Zaku _couldn't do the job, then Char had no doubts that his mobile suit, which had already been customized and upgraded beyond normal standards, would be able to hold its own against the Federation's newest toy.

Attaching his normal suit helmet, Char quickly slipped into the _Zaku_'s open cockpit and just as quickly closed it behind him. As he expected, the mechanic in charge of his suit had already started it up for him; all he need do was activate the suit's main camera, which he did, causing the red mono-eye to flash on and shift left and right before centering. With that, Char had his suit step out and make its way to the now opened and ready catapult deck, where he planted both his suit's feet onto the assembly. A second later, the operator notified him that he was ready to launch.

For one final time, Char had his special senses reach out across to the battlefield, where he saw the enemy mobile suit continuing to battle _Zaku_ after _Zaku_. In spite of the fact his mission was being setback, he let a grin appear on his face at the challenge. _Now, let's_ truly_ test the performance of your brand new mobile suit._

"Char Aznable, _Zaku_, launching!"

* * *

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Shangri-La, Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

Yet again the colony rumbled as a group of missiles struck its hull, and with it the _Ark Royal_ also rumbled from _within _that same hull. And also yet again Bright found himself gripping the arm of his chair to hold himself stable from the resulting quake; if anything he was starting to feel more annoyed from the constant attacks than actually worried. All the same it just made him more concentrated on getting his ship out into space.

As the shaking diminished, Bright saw from the corner of his eye and Kikka visibly winced from the apparent yelling into her headset, just before she turned to face him. "I have Commander Orson on the line, sir."

Bright glowered at that, and felt Mirai do the same beside him. This would be the fourth time since the battle began. Unfortunately before he could tell Kikka to ignore the message, the main screen flickered onto reveal Orson's fat, panicked face. _"Captain Bright, we're being overrun up here!" _that high pitched voice sounded off again.

"We're just about ready to launch Commander. _Unit Alpha _has almost..." Bright began to speak but wasn't able to finish his sentence before another wave of cannon and missile fire struck the colony. The next thing he saw was an explosion sound from Orson's side, followed by an agonized scream from the man. Only static filled the screen after that, before Kikka deactivated it.

Bright grit his teeth and forced himself back on the task at hand, tapping a button on his chair. "Bridge to Combat! How many _Zakus _are remaining out there!?"

"At least thirteen Captain, maybe more!" Noel replied from the CDC. Suddenly she paused as something caught her attention. "Wait a second, I'm detecting another object approaching from the lead Zeon ship! It looks like another mobile suit!"

"Just one?" Mirai questioned with clear confusion. "What good will one more _Zaku _do out there?"

"There's something different about this one...!" Noel spoke up again, dread now entering her voice. "I've never seen anything like it...! It's moving thirty percent faster than normal!"

Immediately after those words came a sudden burst through Bright's memory, as he quickly recalled that very same sentence being spoken to him one time before, so long ago at Arcturus. He remembered the voice of the panicked operator sounding off as a video image appeared on the bridge's main monitor, displaying a single _Zaku_, one that was painted in blood red, streaking at the _Ark Royal_ and easily evading or destroying any mobile suit that stood in its way. He remembered how fear ran through his body like molten lava as he and every other member of the bridge crew realized that the bridge was about to get hit, as the _Zaku_ had easily evaded the _Ark Royal_'s anti-air fire and was about to make its way toward the bridge tower for a point blank beam bazooka shot.

And he also remembered the sight of Captain Cassius leaping out of the command chair, assisted by the zero gravity resulting from the bridge's long disabled grav-plating, before flying up to him and shoving the bewildered XO back through the bridge door, throwing him back into the turbolift and sealing the door. _"Sorry Bright, but you've got to live and get the ship out of this!" _he had stated in the process, silencing all of Bright's protests. And above all else, he remembered the distinct rumbling he felt when the bridge tower exploded, the lift barely escaping the destruction and delivering him safely, but greatly shaken, to a lower deck.

All at once it came crashing back into Bright's memories alongside Noel's announcement, along with the same panic he had felt back then, only now accompanied by cold recognition. This time, he _knew _exactly what that enemy was. Every man and woman in Star Force who piloted a mobile suit or manned a ship knew what that enemy was, and they all did well to fear its name.

"Char." Bright murmured under his breath, disbelief suddenly appearing on his face even when he managed to keep his emotions in check.

Mirai however was unable to do the same. "Char Aznable...?" she called out, shock appearing in her expression. The rest of the bridge quickly matched her expression. "The Red Comet?"

"That guy sank five of our battlecruisers at Arcturus...!" someone else on the bridge muttered out loud, fear now coming in waves over the rest.

Fortunately, the blaring voice of Noel was enough to cause everyone to shift back to business. "The _Zaku_'s heading right toward _Unit Alpha_!" the chief CDC officer announced over the comlink. "Doesn't seem to be paying attention to anything else!"

Bright quickly followed up on that. "Have _Unit Alpha_ move to intercept immediately! If anyone has a chance against the Red Comet, it's him!" he called out to Kikka, who scrambled to carry out her new orders. "And then patch me through to Commander Sleggar!"

* * *

Amuro didn't need the _Ark Royal_'s operator yelling in his ear to warn him of the new incoming mobile suit; he had already detected it, once more by his special senses, by the time she called him. He immediately turned the _Gundam_ around and magnified the image on his monitor, through the mishmash of combating _Zakus_ and _Guncannons_ to the point in space between the Zeon warships and the battlefield he was currently. And instantly he felt himself nearly freeze up when he laid his eyes upon the lone crimson red _Zaku _in the distance, one that was streaking directly at him, its mono-eye aimed squarely at his mobile suit.

No sooner than he had first seen the _Zaku_ did Amuro feel a massive wave of "pressure", for lack of better word, coming from the incoming machine; enough in fact that he felt as though his body were telling him to disengage and retreat as this was not opponent he was ready to face. As his extra sense concentrated, Amuro could have sworn he saw a red aura encompass the entire _Zaku_, one of deeper vibrance and power than the mobile suit's armor, and that as the mobile suit continued to shoot through space that very same aura seemed to "morph" the entire machine until it became a red comet, streaking through space directly at him. And as that very same comet drew close, a vague outline of a masked man dressed in a Zeon pilot suit and bearing a determined smirk across his face flashed through Amuro's consciousness...

The sound of his threat indicators quickly snapped Amuro out of his trance, and he immediately put the _Gundam_ into a dodge as the _Zaku_, having closed the distance far faster than he had anticipated, open fired with its machine gun. Amuro in turn fired back with his own rifle, but whereas any other _Zaku_ would have quickly been taken out with those crack beam shots, the _Zaku_ banked to its right and evaded them with awe inspiring finesse; in fact, it seemed to do so without too much effort. As such, Amuro quickly realized exactly how much trouble he was in as the _Zaku_ continued to gracefully maneuver. _This guy's_ really_ good! How am I supposed to fight him!?_

He followed this up by firing more blasts from his beam rifle while either evading or deflecting with his beam shields, but no matter how many beam shots he launched at the red _Zaku_, the Zeon machine would dodge with seemingly minimal effort. The _Zaku_ in turn flitted around, firing one machine gun burst after another at the _Gundam_ while continuing its evasions; it wasn't long before Amuro realized his opponent was only toying with him, likely as an attempt to flesh out the _Gundam_'s capabilities.

_Hmph, at the very least it looks impressive._ Char thought as he looked over the unknown enemy mobile suit as he continued his offensive. He easily took in the details: exceedingly slim humanoid design, standard grey armor with dark blue highlights, twin yellow camera eyes instead of the standard visor, V-shaped communications fin on the forehead, standard head vulcans, two strange cylinders on its back, a beam shield on each arm instead of just one and a beam rifle that seemed more powerful than average. Aside from those things, it was certainly more reactive than a _Guncannon_, yet Char couldn't help but wonder if there was more to this machine than what was being presented to him thus far.

However, what perplexed Char the most was who was controlling the mobile suit. From the way it was fighting back, the pilot was clearly a rookie at best, barely above trainee level in his opinion. This presented two issues: the first was obviously how the pilot had been able to survive, let alone fight off multiple _Zakus _with far more experienced pilots, up to this point, and the second was how or why exactly was this pilot had gotten his or her hands on the machine in the first place. Usually, traditional test pilots, whether they be Zeon or Federal, were experienced veterans that had fought in enough battles to know a mobile suit completely in and out, to the point that their evaluations on the machines they were testing mattered more to the suit's design than virtually anything else. In regard to this pilot however, Char didn't sense any kind of strength or hardness he would have picked up in a veteran, but rather the fear and uncertainty he picked up from a rookie that was only now experiencing war and death for the first time.

However, that didn't matter to Char in the least. _It just makes it easier to capture or destroy. _he thought as he twisted around the enemy mobile suit's shots still. In one of his flashier maneuvers, he barrel rolled to the left and then put more energy into his thrusters, allowing him to move directly behind the mobile suit and bring his machine gun to bare on its backpack assembly. A single spray later and it would lose its main means of propulsion. "It's over." he said with a smirk, before pulling the trigger...

...only for his target to blur away as the beams exited the machine gun barrel. "What...?" he exclaimed in clear confusion.

Suddenly, warning shot through his body as Char instinctively gunned his thrusters again, barely evading another beam shot. Swinging the mono-eye to the right, Char saw the mobile suit again, now a fair distance away and continuing to gun for him.

"Impossible!" he called out as he evaded shot after shot once more. He immediately twisted around again and fired another burst, only for the Federation mobile suit to evade once more, moving to his left and lining up for another beam rifle shot. Yet another snap maneuver kept Char from ending up like several of his unfortunate subordinates. _That certainly explains the sensor readings before!  
_

Instantly capitalizing on the situation, Char twisted around and returned fire with his machine gun. Unfortunately though, the mobile suit kicked on its own back thrusters and ascended over the burst, firing two more shots before bursting away again, only to reposition itself just behind Char's _Zaku_. Char grimaced at that as he maneuvered yet again; that Feddie mobile suit was so fast it was nauseating.

But once more, in spite of how advanced the mobile suit was, its pilot was still a novice; Char planned to take advantage of that fact. As such, he kicked his _Zaku _into a flip and flew straight up to the enemy mobile suit, where it flashed its mono-eye directly into the yellow eye cameras before landing a jarring kick to the torso that sent it flying back.

Amuro cried out as his mobile suit was sent barreling back, barely managing to maintain control. But even so, he wasn't out of it yet; amidst the rumbling and sudden urge to vomit, he was just able to "detect" the red _Zaku_ switch out its machine gun for its beam axe before charging at him again. It was that split second window that allowed Amuro to activate his left beam shield and deflect the initial axe blow, even though the _Zaku_ delivered it with more power than normal. Despite the shield however, the _Zaku _continued to attack with its axe, slashing and hacking away at the transparent magenta colored energy field, while Amuro felt his entire mobile suit continue to shake from the vicious attacks.

With another split-second window, Amuro threw back his beam shield and opened fire with his vulcans, but his opponent had seemingly anticipated the attack as the _Zaku_ suddenly vaulted upward and over the _Gundam_, allowing the rapid fire beam shots to hit nothing but void. It then delivered another kick into the _Gundam_'s back, causing it to fly forward and Amuro to slam into the back of his cockpit chair. And when he twisted around to fire off a near point blank beam rifle shot, the _Zaku_ dodged once more and made yet another kick into the _Gundam_'s side. Amuro was starting to wonder what the hell was up with his opponent and the latter's apparent obsession with kicking mobile suits around.

The _Zaku_ only kept attacking from there, mono-eye flashing with vehemence throughout. And as the fight went on, Amuro realized he was quickly being beaten back.

* * *

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Shangri-La, Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

"The Red Comet!? Here!?" Sleggar let out in astonishment and alarm, causing Sayla, who had just returned, to nearly jump from similar panic.

"That's right." Bright replied from the other end of the vidlink. Though his facial expression remained impassive as ever, Sleggar could tell that his friend and superior officer was just as shaken by the recent event. "He's battling with _Unit Alpha _as we speak. You and Lieutenant Sayla will go out there and support him."

Needless to say, that caused further alarm with Sleggar. "How exactly!?" Sleggar replied. "Bright, this is the _Red Comet _we're talking about! We wouldn't last a minute out there!"

The captain looked back skeptically. "That doesn't sound like something the Phoenix of Arcturus would claim."

"And I know _you_ remember that battle, _especially_ the Comet's impact on it!" Sleggar shot back, memories flashing through his own eyes. "Besides, it's not about our skills, but our machines. As good as Sayla and I are, there's no way we can take Char Aznable on in _Guncannons_!"

"Commander." Sayla interrupted with that single word, causing Sleggar to glance toward her from a corner of his eye. Seeing this she, turned her head toward a certain direction, which Sleggar followed, and soon found himself staring up toward the two currently inactive _Gundams_. It didn't take much effort to realize his subordinate's unspoken suggestion.

"What about those two?" Sleggar asked back to the vidlink, eyes still looking up at the twin mobile suits.

Bright's eyes narrowed into a glare. "They're not an option. We're already risking one prototype as it is."

This caused Sleggar to look back with determination. "That won't matter when Char takes out _Unit Alpha_ and infiltrates the colony!" Sleggar shot back. "Bright, we already know that these things are capable of killing _Zakus_! I'd say they're our best bet right now!"

"And if they're _all _destroyed?" Bright inquired rhetorically, bringing to mind the consequences of Project V's failure.

"Allow me to clarify." Sleggar returned fire with just as much force. "We've already seen what one of these things can do with a novice pilot..." with that he flashed a grin. "Imagine what _two _more could do with Star Force's best."

The point was made, as signified when Bright took a moment to close his eyes and consider. After a moment, he finally opened them again. "Can you even operate them? These are entirely different units from what you're used to."

"They're still Federation mobile suits." Sleggar retorted hurriedly. "The controls shouldn't be that far removed from a _Guncannon_'s. And as for everything else, we'll just have to learn as we go."

"Fine." Bright acknowledged. "Get them activated and get out there. We'll launch soon after."

"Will do." Sleggar replied, before saluting and then deactivating the vidscreen. He then turned toward the _Gundams_. "Sayla!"

"Right." Sayla responded as she floated up alongside her CO, heading right toward _Unit Gamma_ while Sleggar aimed for _Unit Beta_. Once they were up to their respective units, both opened the cockpit hatches and slipped in, wasting no time in sealing the hatch behind them.

Once the hatches were closed and either settled into their respective cockpit chair, the pitch black panoramic monitors activated, display a line of text while a computerized feminine voice spoke out. **"IDENTIFY FOR PILOT AUTHENTICATION."  
**  
"Commander Sleggar Law, 105th Mobile Suit Squadron, Serial Number 6342421." Sleggar sounded off.

"Lieutenant Junior Grade Sayla Mass, 105th Mobile Suit Squadron, Serial Number 9539823." Sayla answered simultaneously.

After receiving their replies, the _Gundams_' computers each accessed GalacNet, the central information processing system of the Earth Federation, and then followed upon this by accessing the Star Force database at lightning speed. In a matter of milliseconds, both computers were able to bring up the records of either pilot, which were displayed on the main monitors of either unit. **"AUTHENTICATION CONFIRMED. BEGINNING _GUNDAM_ START UP SEQUENCE."**

One after another, _Unit Beta_ and _Unit Gamma_'s systems came online, signified by a display panel in the cockpit flashing active, and then leading up the main cameras of either _Gundam_ activating, causing their yellow eyes to glow online while the panoramic monitors flashed to show the surrounding hangar bay to their pilots. Soon after, _Unit Beta_ stepped out of its hold and marched forward, while _Unit Gamma _did the same a few moments later, following close behind.

Once that was done, he turned _Unit Beta_'s head so it would "stare" back toward its partner from the corner of its right eye camera. "I've got no problems on my end." Sleggar spoke into the comm. system. "You?"

"No problems here." Sayla confirmed, subconsciously increasing her grip on her control sticks, readying herself for the battle ahead.

Sleggar's smirk increased. "Then let's go." he replied, before turning _Unit Beta_'s head around again, yellow eyes flashing brighter. "We've got a comet to chase."

* * *

Char let loose another burst of machine gun fire that drove the enemy mobile suit back, having forced it to utilize its beam shield rather than its mobility. The Federation mobile suit naturally fired back with its beam rifle, but Char had no trouble evading its fire now; in fact, the pilot was so panicked and his aim so wild by this point that Char probably didn't have to dodge at all. Even so, he moved in and, in yet another move to intimidate more than damage, slammed the butt of his machine gun against the Federation mobile suit's chest, causing the entire suit to tremor. Char didn't need his extra senses to feel the drastically rise in anxiety from the enemy pilot; it was obvious when the mobile suit attempted again to strike the _Zaku _with its vulcans, only for Char to bank and evade, then shoot back into space.

For a brief moment, the Zeon couldn't help but to allow himself to feel some admiration at how well the enemy pilot was actually performing. Sure, his skills were quite raw and he had very little control over his emotional state, but for all it was worth he was holding his own against a far more experienced veteran. Granted, his advanced machine was enough to make up for his lackluster skills and experience, and was obviously the main reason that he had been able to fight back against the Red Comet, but from both his extra sense and his own observations during the battle, Char could see that this Feddie had potential as a combat pilot. And then there was that odd pressure he continued to feel from him, which was just as raw as he had first felt it, but certainly held power to it. That one perplexed Char the most; for another moment, while dodging fire, he wondered if anyone in the Federation, namely Star Force Command, was aware that this pilot held special powers beyond ordinary humans. And if they did, he also wondered if it was for that reason why this greenhorn had been chosen to pilot the Federation's latest war machine.

Of course, all these factors made for a possible dangerous enemy in the future, and while Char wouldn't have minded the Federation gaining another ace to hold back the Empire, he couldn't let such a being threaten his own plans for the future. Besides, he had already gained enough combat data on the Feddie mobile suit to impress Grand Admiral Dozle, so there was no real point in continuing this battle. All that remained for him to do was to capture the enemy mobile suit and bring it back to the _Richthofen_, with its pilot in toll for interrogation.

No sooner than he processed that decision did he see the enemy mobile suit charge at him again, this time with its left arm reached out, hand opened to reveal a weapons port of some kind. Again Char didn't need his own special senses to feel the desperation in the enemy pilot, nor the war cry he let out as he launched forward, attempting to grasp onto the _Zaku_'s cockpit plate. Unfortunately for him, the Red Comet wasn't that easy to take down, and Char had his machine lunge upward and over the enemy suit as it moved by, in turn leaving its back exposed for attack. And so Char moved to deliver the final blow, a solid bone rattling kick to the back thruster with enough force to cause the pilot to fall into a blackout.

A sudden spark in Char's mind kept him from doing just that, instead forcing him to evade as a pair of magenta colored beams shot by where he had been before. "What...?" he let out, before shifting his _Zaku_'s mono-eye to the direction where the beams had come from. Surprise immediately dawned on him after.

Streaking of the colony, two more mobile suits, both being of the same design as the one he was fighting now, were advancing toward his position. Both units were now firing at him with their beam rifles, causing Char to go even further into evasion while he drowned out his confusion.

_There was only supposed to be one prototype...!_ his mind called out in astonishment, biting back the growing worry before it overwhelmed him.

In his own cockpit, Amuro was equally dumbfounded, but no less grateful, by the arrival of the two other _Gundam_ mobile suits that had been sent to Shangri-La. "_Unit Beta_ and _Unit Gamma_...?" he let out. He knew the original test pilots had been killed, and the captain of the _Ark Royal _had told him there was no one in his ship's roster qualified to use them. And yet there they were. "Who's piloting them?"

Just as he finished that question, both _Gundams_ flashed by his position, and Amuro gunned his thrusters to keep up with them as they chased after the red _Zaku_. A second later, a vidscreen formed on his monitor, displaying a familiar face to him. "Yo, _Unit Alpha_! Remember me?"

Amuro blinked. "You're the Shrike commander!"

"Right." Sleggar smirked back, before turning serious. "Listen, we're going to have to work together to beat Mr. Comet there. _Gamma _and I will box him in, and you'll finish him off. Got it?"

While Amuro was still trying to make heads or tails of all that was going on, he still got the gist of the plan. "Acknowledged!" he replied, before lowering his rifle and firing another shot. The other two _Gundams_ followed suit.

* * *

**Zeon **_**Scharnhorst**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Richthofen**_**  
Shangri-La, Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

_There were _three_ prototypes!?_ Dren's mind called out as he subconsciously gripped the arms of his chair in astonishment. The rest of the _Richthofen_'s bridge held similar shock as they watched the three Federation machines give chase to the red _Zaku_ that belong to their commander, spray beam shot after beam shot upon the single Zeon mobile suit with great vehemence. In turn, the red _Zaku _managed to maneuver around them just like it had been doing up to this point, but Dren could easily tell that his CO was now being forced to give more energy than he had before.

This of course was a massive game changer, and not just for the current battle. The fact there was more than one prototype meant Project V was further along than had been anticipated, and Dren felt a chill run down his spine over the possibly that there be more of these mobile suits in existence. Or even worse, there was the possibility that the Federation had been finalizing the testing stage out here, and that production stage would soon begin back on Earth. Either way, this made the mission of either capturing or destroying the prototypes all the more vital, before the Federation began fielding more of these things for their main forces.

Suddenly breaking Dren out of his mind race, Char's visage appeared on the _Richthofen_'s main monitor. "Meteor One to _Richthofen_, come in." he spoke out.

Dren wasted no time in tapping a switch on the armrest of his chair so he could speak. "This is _Richthofen_. Go ahead!"

Char gritted his teeth momentarily as he was forced to dodge another closing beam shot. "I'm leading the targets toward you now." Char stated. "Set up for full barrage in Sector Alpha Four on my mark."

The Zeon Commander immediately knew what his superior was going for. While a full barrage from the _Richthofen_ wouldn't likely destroy the enemy mobile suits, it would confuse and disorient them enough for Char to move in through the beam fire and either destroy or incapacitate them. It was one of the older tactics developed in the Imperial Guard, but very few mobile suit pilots were willing to attempt it, much less pull it off, as there was always the possibility of their getting caught in the barrage as well. Fortunately, Char Aznable was not one such pilot.

As such, Dren nodded back. "Roger. We'll be waiting." he replied, just as the screen flickered off. The portly Commander immediately followed his orders thereafter. "Set new target field: Sector Alpha Four, at wide barrage! _Move it!_"

* * *

"Yeah! Now _this_ is what I call a mobile suit!" Sleggar called out as he sent _Unit Beta_'s charging after the red _Zaku_ alongside its two comrades. Indeed, even after having gained a decent handling over the _Unit Beta_'s controls and performance, the veteran couldn't believe what he was flying; it was literally unlike any other kind of machine that he had ever piloted. Sure, the red _Zaku_ was speeding out into space just like its pilot's moniker would dictate, but unlike before in the _Ark Royal_'s hangar, Sleggar had no doubts that he and his wingmen would be able to keep up, if not overrun.

_"Fly Gundam!"_ Sleggar called out as he put more power into the _Gundam_'s thrusters and sent it barreling across the void_, __Unit Alpha_ and _Unit Gamma_ doing the same. From there, they wasted no time in raining magenta energized hell onto the red _Zaku, _causing it to bank and roll around each shot as they lanced out. This allowed Sleggar to gun his thrusters once more and nearly come up right on top of the Zeon machine, almost putting a beam shot through the finned head. Char banked again at this brought up his machine gun, firing a spray at _Unit Beta_, which Sleggar evaded by putting the _Gundam_ into side dash. A second later, _Unit Alpha_ moved in close and fired off another beam shot of its own, and for the first time in the entire battle, Char was forced to employ his beam shield to deflect the shot. In turn, he responded by firing three of his hip mounted missiles at the attacking _Gundam_, but Amuro jetted away before the missiles could impact.

Before Char could pursue either of the first two _Gundams_, Sayla came charging in with _Unit Gamma_, forgoing her beam rifle for a beam saber. Only a spark of warning from Char's extra senses allowed him to see the attack coming, and he immediately had his _Zaku_ leap back as the Federation mobile suit came in with a beam saber swipe. However, whereas any other rookie pilot would have ended the attack there, the Federation mobile suit kept up the offensive, slashing the saber from various angles that the red _Zaku_ just barely evaded. Only another quick burst from the _Zaku_'s beam machine gun ended the assault, forcing _Unit Gamma_ to engage one of its beam shields and deflect the spray, then shoot away when the _Zaku_ kept up the attack. Or so it seemed, as _Unit Alpha_ jetted in again fired off a spray of vulcan fire, which Char evaded by ascending "upward" from the attack, _Unit Beta_ and _Unit Gamma _quickly moving into pursuit.

Char grit his teeth as he induced more g-forces to stay ahead of his adversaries, his special senses now working overtime to predict their attacks more easily. It was clear from their fighting styles and greater control that the two newcomers were experienced pilots, perhaps even aces, and the fact they were able to keep up with the Red Comet, their mobile suits' superior performance notwithstanding, was further testament to their skills. Their only weaknesses, as Char surmised, was that they seemed to be unfamiliar with their machines; the fact they weren't moving as fast nor as smoothly as the first one seemed to indicate that. But even so, the skills and synchronization between these two more than made up for their lack of knowledge for their craft.

However, it was what Char's special senses were detecting that especially worried him. The first he detected didn't seem to have any pressure, which meant that he didn't have the "gift" that Char possessed, but in its place he felt a special confidence that could only be found in those who have survived for so long. This confidence and spirit was so palpable in fact that to Char they appeared to took shape before him, emerging around the mobile suit and transforming into a clear form: a great bird, one completely engulfed in blue tinted flames yet rising up through the embers, screeching a predatory cry as it ascended. No sooner than that cry had sounded out did the mobile suit line its rifle again, firing a triple shot of beam fire that Char had put extra effort in evading, before returning fire with his machine gun.

That's when the second newcomer came around and fired its own rifle, Char just barely managing to dodge those shots as well. Unlike the former, this one did hold pressure; in fact, it was the exact same pressure Char felt when he had first came here. While this one didn't have the supreme confidence in herself that the first one did, this one made up for it by being honed and focused, completely devoted to the task at hand, whether that be killing him, destroying Zeon or some other purpose that he was unaware of him. As well, her spirit also took shape in front of him, appearing as a tall, dark armored woman on horseback, red hair billowing out of a winged helm as it charged at him, a great sword drawn to kill. And upon that image, Char again felt that stroke of connection and familiarity...

Instantly the red _Zaku_ arced back in its flight path and dodged as the _Gundam Unit Gamma_ blasted past. As the _Gundam_ did, Sayla twisted its head around and fired off a spray of vulcan fire in an attempt to catch the _Zaku_ on its side, but the Zeon mobile suit merely need activate its beam shield again to deflect the beam shots. Fortunately though, that was more than enough time for _Unit Alpha_ to fly back in and line up a beam rifle shot, and though the _Zaku_ again dodged with a burst from its thrusters, the shot came mere meters from spearing the red mobile suit through its head. The red mobile suit responded once more by turning and firing off its machine gun again, but by that point _Unit Alpha_ had blasted away and _Unit Beta_ came charging in its place, leveling its own beam rifle for the kill. _Unit Gamma_ quickly joined it from the opposite side, both _Gundams_ flying at the _Zaku_ in a pincer attack. But of course, their efforts fell short as the _Zaku_ launched at the direction that was between the _Gundams_ before barrel rolling around their beam shots, in turn forcing the two _Gundams_ to reverse their flight path to chase after, _Unit Alpha _joining them as well.

"Damn it..." Sleggar muttered while glowering at the image of the speeding red _Zaku_. On the bright side, the _Zaku_ was now flying in a straight path, and the fact it was growing larger on the panoramic monitor meant the _Gundams _were even faster than the custom Zeon mobile suit. It was only matter of time in that regard. "Shrike Two, flank him again!"

_Unit Gamma_ followed suit, breaking away to its left as _Unit Beta_ readied its beam rifle again. In _Unit Alpha_, Amuro readied to intercept, where he hoped the surprise would be enough to get a beam shot in. Before he could do that however, he felt a spark flicker across his mind, halting this action. An image of the lead Zeon battlecruiser in the distance soon entered his conscious, its bow turrets now angled toward the area that the _Gundams_ were flying toward. It didn't take much to realize what was really happening. "Stop!" he called out to the other two _Gundams_. "We're falling into a trap!"

Both Sleggar and Sayla reacted to Amuro's warning, but before they could question him, a similar spark occurred in Sayla's mind, causing her to see the exact same image Amuro had seen earlier. "Evade!" she yelled to both units.

No sooner than when she had given that warning did the _Richthofen_'s six bow cannons open fire, raining yellow streaks into the zone that the _Gundams_ and the _Zaku_ were in. Only that split second window allowed the three Federation mobile suits to dodge the shots with relative ease. Had Amuro not called it in the beginning, both Sayla and Sleggar would surmize later, the first shots would have easily crippled or destroyed them.

Char bit back his disappointment as he saw all three mobile suits escape damage, but that didn't matter, as he now had an opportunity that wasn't available before. Keying in his senses, he immediately tracked where the first machine, the weakest link amongst the three, had ended up; it was directly above him with its back away from him. With that in mind, he gunned his thrusters and shot up after it, switching his machine gun for his beam axe.

The enemy mobile suit had just been starting to turn when Char had come upon it, beam axe raised to strike. Time slowed for both pilots at that point, with Char's mouth growing into a smile as he was about deal a direct hit, and Amuro's expression turning to one of horror as he realized he was about get struck. In a last ditch effort he moved to raise his left arm to deploy his beam shield, but he knew it wasn't going to make it in time, as the axe was already descending.

But the blade never struck, as _Unit Gamma_ flung itself between its comrade and the red _Zaku_, beam saber ignited in its right hand. The yellow bladed axe quickly slammed against the saber's magenta blade, stopping short of its target as the _Gundam_'s fierce yellow eyes gazed directly into the _Zaku_'s malevolent red mono-eye, both simultaneously flaring against the other.

Yet again time slowed as both Federation and Zeon pilots' special senses ignited. Both that same pressure and feeling of familarity ran through their respective consciousnesses, before it all came down to simultaneous realization.

_Casval...?_

_Artesia...?_

The moment didn't last however, as Amuro brought _Unit Alpha_'s head around the left side of _Gamma_'s and fired a spray from his beam vulcans. Char quickly snapped out of the trans and jetted back, evading the shots with a series of banks. In the process he quickly redrew his machine gun and took aim once more, only for another beam to spear right through the weapon and cause it to explode, nearly taking the _Zaku_'s right arm with it.

"Finally getting somewhere!" Sleggar called out as he fired more shots, which the _Zaku_ dodged before streaking away. He gave chase, with _Unit Alpha_ moving in to support him. When _Unit Gamma_ didn't join them, Sleggar looked back and realized the _Gundam _had not moved from its spot. "Shrike Two, check in." he called out to Sayla. No answer came, causing Sleggar to worry. "Repeat, Shrike Two, check in. Do you read?"

This time, Sayla woke back from whatever had made her pause. "This is Shrike Two, no problems!" Sayla replied, before putting _Unit Gamma _back into the fight. "Sorry, I lost it for a moment."

Sleggar frowned, as something in him believed there was more than that. "Get back into formation!" he ordered. "We're maintaining pursuit!"

In _Unit Alpha_, Amuro also wondered what exactly had just happened.

* * *

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Shangri-La, Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

"All moorings retracted! Firing thrusters and main engines online and at your command!" Katz reported after looking over his monitors around the helm station.

"All weapons online! Beam cannons, beam phalanxes and missile launchers all on standby!" Letz sounded off as he looked over his own monitors, which showed vast array of weaponry energized as he had just reported.

"Docking control reports all ready! We are to launch at any time!" Kikka called out from her station as well.

Settling back on the bridge of his titanic warship, Bright nodded as all the information was taken in, formulating his next plan of action. "Helm, take us out at one quarter engine power, then move to full power once we're clear. Weapons, target one of the enemy cruisers once we have cleared the colony, as well as any _Zaku _that stands in our way."

When he saw that his orders had been acknowledged, he rested his arms at either side, readying himself for the next minute. "Commander Mirai, if you will please..."

Understanding the indirect command, Mirai focused straight ahead and called out. "_Ark Royal _launch!"

Upon that declaration, the carrier's maneuvering thrusters ignited, bringing the carrier off of the dock and into open zero gravity. A moment later, her eight massive engines blasted to life with blue thruster fire, slowly propelling the great warship forward. The entire bridge watched as the portal into space before them grew larger and larger, while the various explosions of the battle became more and more visible.

At that sight, Bright suppressed the urge to hold his breath. At this point, he could only hope and pray that they would somehow make it out of the maelstrom...

* * *

Char was still reeling from his recent experience when his special senses, as well as his _Zaku_'s sensors, became alive again, indicating that something was coming out of the colony. Pausing for a brief moment from his battle with the three Federation mobile suits, Char shifted his mono-eye back toward Shangri-La's main gate, and upon what his eyes were seeing on his main monitor, had the camera zoom in.

Sure enough, a Federation warship was emerging from one of the docks. And not just any Federation warship; this was easily distinguished by its enlarged hull, which was just over seven hundred meters in length and in characterized by its unique design. Its bow consisted of two enlarged bow "legs", obviously hangar decks, that stretched back to the main hull itself, which possessed a bridge tower at its center and two engine blocks aft. In turn, the pods and the main hull all mounted gun emplacements. Two characteristic wings stretched out around either side of the bridge tower. And finally, the ship itself was painted in the grey and navy blue paint scheme that Star Force valued, which in turn made the vessel even more of a warship as well as intimidating to behold.

"That's a carrier...!" Char let out once more in shock. However, he wasn't so taken back that he wasn't able to dodge the incoming beam fire from one of the mobile suits he had been fighting, nor the follow up attacks from its two comrades.

As soon as the great carrier had launched, its bow mounted beam cannons angled themselves and fired a single salvo. Char gritted his teeth as he watched the salvo strike the _Karlsruhe_, causing the cruiser to erupt in flame and fragment. The remaining three ships returned fire, as did the _Zakus _nearest to the carrier, but the Star Force warship accelerated and continued on its course, responding kind to all of its attackers.

Char silently cursed the situation. The same intelligence that had claimed that there had been only one prototype at Shangri-La had also failed to report that the Federation had deployed a warship out here as well, most likely to retrieve the three prototypes and return them to Earth or some other Federal sector. He had molded his entire strategy on that belief, and now was paying for it, as his forces were too weakened now to take on both the colony and the carrier, not to mention all three prototypes, at once.

As such, he called it in. "Meteor One to all forces." he called out, gritting his teeth together at the sting. "We're withdrawing. Abandon all combat activity and return. All ships standby to cloak once all mobile suits are recovered."

A bewildered image of Dren quickly appeared on his monitor. "Captain, are you sure?"

"Unfortunately, yes Dren I am." Char replied solemnly, as he turned his own _Zaku_ around and headed for the _Richthofen_. Activating his rearward camera, he spared one last glance toward both the carrier and the three mobile suits. "We'll just have to catch them on the run."

* * *

In _Unit Alpha_, Amuro found himself glaring at the sight of the distancing red _Zakus_, as well as the other _Zakus_. Obviously the Zeeks were calling for a retreat, but the _Gundam _test pilot wasn't ready to let them go. "Where the hell do you think you're going!" Amuro growled as he gave chase after the red mobile suit. "Do you think after all you've done we'll just let you run away!"

"_Unit Alpha_ disengage!" someone from the _Ark Royal_'s CDC sounded in alarm. "You're moving too close to the enemy formation!"

"That's enough Lieutenant Amuro, return to ship!" Sleggar ordered as he and Sayla turned _Unit Beta_ and _Unit Gamma_ around, speeding back toward the _Ark Royal _which was advancing toward their position.

Amuro ignored all their cries and instead continued his advanced, tapping a certain key on his control stick. In that instant, _Unit Alpha _raised its hyper beam rifle up, but rather than fire straight out, energy began to form and collect around the barrel opening.

Once he believed he had the red _Zaku_ targeted, Amuro pulled the trigger, and in that moment an enormous blast of energy, one approximately one hundred and fifty meters in diameter, shot out from the hyper beam rifle toward the Zeon mobile suit. Unfortunately, what would have been a killing shot for any other machine was easily dodged by the Red Comet, who rolled his _Zaku _up and over to the left to avoid the blast. In turn, the Zeon battlecruiser he had been flying toward soon took aim with its main guns again and fired off a covering salvo, forcing Amuro to evade.

_"Not bad Federation pilot."_ Amuro nearly jumped against his seat restraints as he heard an unfamiliar, velvet smooth voice speak out over an open channel. Immediately Amuro knew that the voice's owner was the man he had just tried to kill, just as he knew that a smile was now present on the Zeon pilot's lips. _"I look forward to our next engagement."_

Amuro only sneered as he himself twisted _Unit Alpha_ around and returned to the waiting _Ark Royal_.

* * *

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Shangri-La, Durga System, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

"_Unit Alpha_ has been recovered!" Kikka announced as she received the news from the hangar deck. "All _Gundams _are now accounted for."

"And the Zeon ships?" Bright questioned, talking down to Noel in the CDC again.

"They've also recovered their mobile suits... Wait a second..." Noel replied, stopping to check over her monitors again. When she spoke again, it was once more in warning. "Captain...!"

Upon Noel's word, Bright and everyone else on the bridge also looked up at the main monitor, just in time to see the three Zeon warships engage their cloaking devices, disappearing into the surrounding darkness. After the last _Dresden _vanished, Bright wasted no more time in giving the waited command. "New Course! One-Five-One, Mark Three-Three-Zero!" Bright ordered, far more forcibly than he had intended. "Maximum Warp!"

Nonetheless, Katz maneuvered the _Ark Royal _outward and, with a great flare from her main thrusters, caused the ship to launch out past lightspeed. As a result, the surrounding stars and planets that had been present on the main monitor were quickly replaced by speeding light and darkness, and upon seeing that, the bridge crew visibly relaxed.

All except for Bright that was. He knew that the Zeon hadn't given up by a long shot, and that the three enemy ships were now directly behind the _Ark Royal_, still shrouded in their cloaks but not at all ready to abandon pursuit. Just as well, now that they no longer had the additional forces from Shangri-La to reinforce them, Bright also knew that the Zeeks would engage the _Ark Royal_, whether in or out of warp, at any point before they were to enter Federation territory. It was only a matter of when they believed the best time was to strike.

At that knowledge, Bright tapped on his left arm control panel and brought up another holodisplay, this one being a starmap of the surrounding space. Whatever he was going to do, however he was going to save his ship and crew once again, it was going to be based upon what he read from that map.

And so the _Ark Royal_'s return to Earth had, at long last, begun...

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Author's Notes:** Yeah, it's been quite a while since I posted a chapter here. Some people even believed I abandoned the story. Well, fear not, as I intend to keep going with it off and on while working on _Megiddo_ first and foremost. And yes, while I'm aware this chapter is particularly action heavy, it is based around the second episode of _Mobile Suit Gundam_, and I had to come up with something to replace the idea of evacuating the colony's residents onto the _Ark Royal_.

That said, in response to a review request, I thought I would take the time here to describe the mobile suits and ships utilized so far:

**RB-300 _Ball_** - Pretty much what it was in canon, a mobile pod slapped with a beam cannon and called a "mobile weapon". The main difference is between it and its UC counterpart, besides level of technology and usage of AI instead of being piloted, is its backstory: the _Ball_ was invented early on as a ship based counterpart to the ground hugging _Guntank_, back when mobile suits were just beginning to catch on. In that regard, the _Ball_ was adequate for its purpose, providing close-in fire support for capital ships and the like, but the invention of the _Guncannon_ eventually supplanted and retired them from service, save for "backwater" posts like Shangri-La. Appearance-wise they look like the _Ball Type C _the most, but more with a futuristic "search eye" theme to it like one would see in a cyberpunk series, such that you can tell it's AI driven.

**RGT-501 _Guntank Defender_** - The first "true" mobile suit to be put into full production. It's pretty much a futuristic version of the original _Guntank_, mixed together with the _Tragos_ from _Gundam Wing_ (namely the hoverbed system) for effect. As with its canon counterpart, it was designed to act as a mobile artillery piece, in which it was given enough mobility to transverse terrain and move from point A to point B, before using its weapon systems to rain death and destruction on any specific target. For the latter purpose, it was armed with two beam cannons as its primary weapons, four beam machine guns in either of its arms and a set of missile launchers in its backpack. And like the original _Guntank_, it took two people, a pilot and a gunner, to operate, except both are placed in a two seat cockpit similar to the _Xamel_ from _Gundam 0083_.

**RGT-502 _Guntank Destroyer_** - Pretty much the _Guntank II_ version of the _Defender_, created as a response toward non-Federation factions who were beginning to field their own mobile suit types, if not bought or captured _Guntank Defenders_ of their own. Besides increased armor and power, the newly improved beam cannons were moved from the shoulders to the head module, giving the _Destroyer _the ability to fire in 180 degree arcs. Beyond that, it retained the original back mounted missile launcher, but added on a pair of beam vulcan guns to its torso, and dispensed with the arm mounted beam machine guns for an additional pair of beam cannons.

**RGC-601 _Guncannon Trooper_** - The Earth Federation's current mainline mobile suit. Essentially a futuristic version of the original _Guncannon_, though more resembling to the _Mass Production Type_ from _Gundam 0080_, the _Trooper_ was created as a more general purpose design to the _Guntank_ and _Ball_, one that could operate both in space and within a planetary atmosphere. The main difference between it and the _Guntank_ is, besides possessing actual legs, is that it's flight capable in an atmosphere (similar to GN Drive equipped MS from _Gundam 00_), giving it a greater operating range, while in space it is far more maneuverable than a _Ball_ (though nowhere near a _Zaku _obviously). Its weapons are the standard allotment of beam cannons, beam vulcans and beam rifle, as well as a beam shield projector mounted on its left arm for defensive measure.

**RGC-602 _Guncannon Commander_** - A slightly enhanced version of the _Trooper_, akin to the _Guncannon A_ from _M-MSV_ (but following the _Mass Production Type_ design like the _Trooper_). Not much difference between it and the _Trooper_, beyond additional armor for greater protection and improved sensors and communications systems so that squadron leaders can better coordinate with their units. Despite being a commander type mobile suit however, which in _Gundam_ terms usually denotes MS that are faster than average, these units are about the same as the _Trooper_ in terms of mobility, as the _Guncannon _was designed more toward firepower than speed to begin with.

**RGC-603 _Guncannon Hellfire_** - A missile support variation of the _Guncannon_. This one looks like a combination of the _Guncannon Mass Production Type_, but it swaps out the back mounted beam cannons for a pair of twelve tube missile pods like those seen off and on with the original _Guncannon_; naturally, the tube contains more than one missile per tube, allowing the _Hellfire_ to launch Macross Missile Massacre level barrages. Beyond that, it retains the original vulcans, rifle and shield projector. While an effective design even against _Zakus_, it is only as effective as long as it has missiles to spare, and as such it's a bit more operationally limited than its other brethren. But even so, Star Force strategists have long recognized it as a valued unit, such that it's one of the more heavily produced _Guncannon _variations, enough for it to even be considered a common sight among Star Force mobile suit squadrons.

**RGX-780 _Gundam_** - Obviously the "main" mobile suit of the story. Would it be a _Gundam_ story if it wasn't? Anyway, to fit the OYW-esque theme of the story, I took a "back to the basics" approach as opposed to the more "fanciful" style Gundams that have been around since _Mobile Suit Z Gundam_. Generally this _Gundam_ takes after the RX-78-2 Katoki ver. (which has pretty much been retconned into canon anyway), but updated like the rest for the more futuristic setting. Unlike the original design, its main feature isn't its indestructible armor or beam weaponry, but rather its extremely high performance level, along with its equally higher end weaponry, which rounds out to a pair each of beam vulcans, beam sabers, beam shields, beam gauntlets, the latter as people noticed being a reworking of the _Destiny Gundam_'s trademark weapons, and several optional hand armaments like the hyper beam rifle. Also, taking a small cue from the original series, there are three _Gundam_ prototypes (_Units Alpha_, _Beta_ and _Gamma_) developed here, but unlike the original series the other two besides Amuro's survived this time around. In that regard, I always liked the _Gundam Astray_ setup, in which the "main" _Gundams _all share the same basic design but are separable by their respective colors (which will also change later on) and their pilots. I don't know why Bandai never experimented with that approach in a main storyline, especially when the recolorings of the RX-78 are always so popular; the Char Aznable/Casval Rem Daikun Custom alone certainly has a cult following around it.

**ZMS-006 _Zaku_** - Everybody's favorite one-eyed monster. The Imperial Stormtrooper of mobile suits, only their shots _do_ actually hit most of the time (they're just deflected by luna titanium armor). Anyway, this incarnation is actually based more along the lines of _Gundam 0080_'s _Zaku II Kai _w/B-type (a la Stalhelm) helmet, but revamped to the "futuristic" aesthetics of this story. Standard armaments are a beam machine gun (based on the _Zaku II Kai_'s kickass MMP-80 machine gun), a beam axe, right shoulder mounted beam shield and hip mounted missile launchers, while an assortment of optional weapons such as beam bazookas are also available. Unlike canon, they're _not_ the first combat mobile suits in existence; that honor goes to the _Guntank_ this time around. Rather, as Gene recalled in Chapter I, they're the first mobile suits to be designed to take on other mobile suits, and as such are more mobility oriented than the _Guntank_ and _Guncannon_, as well as possessing actual close combat capabilities. As such, these things are the future equivalent of the Fokker Eindecker in 1915 AD, in that while mobile suits are the norm much earlier than in _MSG_, they are still the dominant weapons of Zeon until the _Gundam _shows up.

And yes, I know the line is "three times normal speed" for Char's _Zaku_, but I thought that was overpowering, and apparently Bandai did as well, as the line has been retconned to "30% faster". For once, I decided to follow Bandai's example.

**_Midway_-class fleetcarrier** - The _Ark Royal_'s class and the Earth Federation's primary carrier design. In appearance they're directly akin to the _Grey Phantom_ from _Gundam 0080_, but enlarged to 700 meters in length with the rest of the ship is redesigned accordingly. Some might say the design is overpowered for a protagonist _Gundam_ warship, but I have my reasons: as one could guess from its namesake, the _Midway_-class is designed to be a true supercarrier in _Gundam_ terms, akin to a modern day _Nimitz_-class aircraft carrier, or the in development _Gerald R. Ford_-class aircraft carrier. In summary, it's an expansion of the original _White Base _and its intended role.

As a side note, aside from class, which are designated after naval skirmishes such as the Battle of Midway of World War II here, Earth Federation starships tend to be named after "ancient" warships of similar classification; in this case, the thirteen _Midway_-class carriers for example are named after "ancient" aircraft carriers. For the _Ark Royal_, she is named after the British Royal Navy's HMS _Ark Royal_, one of Britain's most prized aircraft carriers which saw extensive use in the early parts of World War II, up to her being torpedoed in 1941 by German submarine _U-81_.

**_Scharnhorst_-class battlecruiser **- The _Richthofen_'s class and one of the latest ship lines in the Imperial Guard. This design is based around the _Gundam Unicorn_ rendition of the _Rewloola_. Beyond that, it's not far off from the original design except more "futuristic", though it can hold up to twelve mobile suits in its hangars. As such, the battlecruiser is a very effective design that combines high speed and mobility with great firepower and armor, though this also makes it more expensive to produce, with the price equivalency for one _Scharnhorst_ being five _Dresden_ cruisers. Naturally, the _Richthofen _is painted in red in recognition of it being Char's flagship, just like its inspiration, while other ships of the class are colored in the standard Zeon green.

And in true Zeon tradition, ships of the Zeon Empire are given random Germanic titles; it's cliché in my opinion, but everyone recognizes Zeon for it, and it beats coming up with random words for names like Tomino loved to do when directing a _Gundam_ series. In this case, the _Scharnhorst_-class is named after the Gerhard von Scharnhorst, a Prussian General of great repute and subsequently the namesake of a famous German battlecruiser, while the _Richthofen _is fittingly named after Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron. As you can tell, the _Scharnhorst_-class follows a "famous German commander/soldier" naming scheme.

**_Dresden_-class cruiser **- The "cannon fodder" ship of Zeon, taking the role of the _Musai_ from the original series. It's reminiscent of the _Gundam Unicorn_ rendition of the _Musaka_-class. In function, they're normally used for long-range patrols, hit and run strikes and the like, as their design focuses primarily on mobility. As well, they can carry up to six mobile suits, the standard allotment for cruiser type warships. Obviously they're not the most powerful ships in the Imperial Guard, but they are easy to produce in great quantities, such that military commanders can make up for their deficiencies by deploying them in large numbers.

Naturally, the class is named after the German city of Dresden, which is subsequently the name of a line of German cruisers, while the _Schleswig_, _Karlsruhe_ and _Rostock _are named after assorted German towns and cities.


	3. Chapter III: Pursuit

**Chapter III: Pursuit**

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal  
**_**Warp****  
June 18, GC 379**

With a hiss and pop, _Unit Beta_'s cockpit hatch opened and revealed the outside hangar bay to Sleggar's eyes. Quickly taking off his helmet, Sleggar immediately drew in much needed fresh air, taking a moment to relish its coolness before wiping the sweat off his forehead. Both the _Gundam_'s performance, well and truly above that of a _Guncannon_'s, and the battle with the Red Comet, well and truly above that of nearly every other the Commander had faced, had drained him more than he had expected. Only now however did he fully realize it. _Maybe I should have taken that break in Shangri-La while I had the chance._

Unfastening his restraints, he quickly slipped out of _Unit Beta_ and into the open hangar, drifting through zero gravity toward the polished dark flooring beneath. That part always made the ace mobile suit pilot laugh on the inside; combined with the almost gleaming metallic silver walls and relatively bright lighting, the interiors of Federation warships always looked somewhat akin to those of the Death Star, even when entire centuries if not millennia had passed since that great trilogy had premiered. It also helped that the _Ark Royal_'s hangars, as well as her other decks, were large and quite spacious, making one feel that they were actually inside the underbelly of an Imperial Star Destroyer as opposed to a Federation fleetcarrier. Amazing developments, considering very few people knew what a "Death Star" or an "Imperial Star Destroyer" were in this day and age.

And then with a soft tap, the Commander touched down on the deck floor, and upon stabilizing himself on his two feet, he was finally able to take in his surroundings. Not much had changed since he had launched; mechanics and technicians were still swarming the other suits present in the hangar, while a few pilots, both from Sleggar's Shrike Squadron and from any of the other three that made up the 13th Carrier Assault Group, were moving about to inspect their machines, obviously in the advent that they would be called out to battle soon. Some distance away, he saw Sayla emerge from _Gundam Unit Gamma _and immediately take off her own helmet, allowing her blonde hair to sway in the atmosphere as she guided herself back down to ground level. Sleggar couldn't help but minutely frown at her as she did so, remembering the point in their battle with the Red Comet where she suddenly froze up. He'd have to speak to her about it later; Sayla was too good of a pilot to suddenly cave in during a battle, especially against an enemy ace.

Not far beyond her was _Gundam Unit Alpha_, which was now in the process of latching itself to one of the available holding clamps. Moments later, its own cockpit opened, and Sleggar watched as Amuro Ray, clad in an apparently customized white normal suit, also emerged from his unit and descended downward. Upon removing his helmet, the boy, and he was definitely a boy, let out a long breath while running his right hand across his short and ruffled reddish-brown hair, subconsciously leaning up against the right leg of his mobile suit. A tech soon came by with a water flask, and Amuro gladly took it and began sipping the liquid through the straw.

As he continued to observe him, Sleggar once again found himself completely mystified by the Lieutenant and how he had been chosen as _Unit Alpha_'s pilot and the strange vibes he got from him, even more so than he was with Sayla's sudden pause. Sure, he was a rookie and this had been his first actual battle, and one could claim he only survived due to the capabilities of his _Gundam_ as well as knowledge on said capabilities, the latter which neither Sleggar nor Sayla had for their own respective units. Yet at the same time, the Lieutenant had managed to hold his own against one of the best aces in the Zeon Empire, to the point that _Unit Alpha _had not suffered any damage, and even more so had been able to keep up with himself and Sayla when they entered into the battle, to the point that they were able to synchronize their attacks effectively. And then there was the point where he forsaw that Zeon battlecruiser's attack before even Sayla could, and unlike almost every other individual in Star Force, Sleggar was well aware of his subordinate's special powers.

_Why do I get the feeling there's more to this kid than what's obvious?_ Sleggar wondered as he watched Amuro depart from the hangar to parts unknown. He scratched the back of his head as he left the hangar for parts unknown. _And that when I do figure it out, I'll be sorry for ever thinking about it in the first place?_  
**  
**"Commander!" Sleggar heard a voice speak behind him. Turning, he saw a younger and shorter man than himself, noteworthy for his onyx black hair, almost equally black eyes and a youthful but somewhat battle hardened face, float up to him. The duel stripe and single diamond pips on his uniform identified him as a Lieutenant Commander, and as such, he saluted once he touched down in front of Sleggar.

The Commander saluted back as well. "Glad to see you made it Shiro." he stated with a small, satisfied grin. "I trust the rest are back as well?"

"All present and accounted for. I made sure myself." Lieutenant Commander Shiro Amada replied with a nod. He then turned to look up at _Unit Beta_. "So, this is what we were sent out here for."

"That's it. The _Gundam_." Sleggar acknowledged with a nod of his own, also looking back up at the grey behemoth.

"What was it like?" Shiro inquired.

Sleggar paused to think about his response. "A dream come true." he said, smiling appreciatively. "I've piloted just about every mobile suit the Federation has put out, but none of them compare to this one."

Shiro nodded, looking further upward toward _Unit Beta_'s now dimmed yellow eyes. "You really think these things will win us the war?"

Sleggar shrugged. "Who knows. There are so many things going on, I don't know if a new mobile suit will really make that big a difference." he stated, thinking a little more. "Having said that though, they'll at least give us a fighting chance. That's more than what we've had so far."

"Yes..." Shiro stated vehemently, certain intensity flickering in his eyes. The memories of so many lost battles and so many retreats began to reemerge into his mind, starting with the destruction of Shiro's homeworld of Hiei. As such, even if it was just a "fighting chance", Shiro was more than happy to take it for what it was worth, so that the Federation could finally beat Zeon back properly.

Sleggar, astute as he always was, quickly noticed the dark expression that came across his subordinate's face. "Anyway, at the risk of sounding anachronistic..." he said, snapping the Lieutenant Commander out of his trance. "...we're _not _out of the woods yet. Chances are that Zeek taskforce is still tailing us."

Shiro quickly readopted military seriousness, as he had drawn that conclusion himself. "You think they'll attack us at warp?"

"I don't know. I'd like to think the Zeeks aren't _that _reckless, but considering who's in command on their end, I wouldn't put it past them." Sleggar stated with a frown. "Either way I'm going to meet with the Captain to figure it all out. In the meantime, I want you and the rest of the 13th geared up and on standby for the curtain call."

"Sir." Shiro saluted again as Sleggar, who once more returned the salute, floated away.

* * *

As Amuro exited the turbolift and stepped onto Deck VIII, he felt himself cringe as his special senses picked up on Fraw's emotional state down the corridor. For a second, he considered simply turning around and leaving the young woman to her emotions, but he managed to keep himself on task by remembering what he was there for. As such, he soon began to walk down the deck toward his intended destination.

Soon enough, simply by focusing on her presence, he managed to find his way to Fraw's quarters, where, after forcing back his own hesitation again, he knocked twice on the door. No answer came, but the door was unlocked anyway, so Amuro tapped the keypad once and had the door open. "Fraw?" he spoke out to the waiting darkness beyond.

The first thing Amuro noticed upon entering the room was that the grav-plating had been deactivated, thus causing him to float off the deck and into the air with various other objects that had been inside. This wasn't too much an issue with him, as he had been moving about in zero-g just moments earlier in the _Ark Royal_'s hangar, but it did feel awkward to be doing it in near total darkness and amidst debris of a sort. The second thing he noticed upon entering was Fraw herself, floating in the middle of the room with body in the fetal position, face pushed against the tops of her knees while her arms were wrapped against her legs. She made no sounds now, though one could see teardrops floating beside her, signifying that she was far from emotionally recovered. Not that Amuro needed a reminder of that latter fact, both from the obvious and how he could literally _feel _her trauma as if it were his own.

At this point, the _Gundam _pilot was at a loss of what to do; for all his gifts and knowledge, Amuro Ray was not a man accustomed to human emotions, especially when they came from a girl that had just lost her family. Yes, he could feel the emotional state radiating from her, but that didn't mean he understood what he could do about it, and unlike a technological issue, he knew that he couldn't simply "fix" it with choice mechanical parts and circuitry work. Just how did one fix a problem like this anyway? Could it even be fixed at all?

After a moment of wracking his head around it, Amuro grit his teeth. _I shouldn't have come here. _he thought, before turning around to float back out.

"Amuro...?" his ears suddenly picked up, causing him to stop and turn back around. From there, he saw Fraw was still in the fetal position, but now she had looked up from her knees and was now staring at him with reddened, teary eyes.

Again at a loss of what to do, Amuro stammered to speak. "Sorry, I... Just wanted to check on you...!"

"It's alright." Fraw said, slowly unfolding herself out of her position, so that she could face Amuro back. "I...don't mind you being here."

Amuro gulped at that, but as he "felt" Fraw's tension drain slightly, he remained where he was. As such, once more through his special senses in place of his vision, he could depict Fraw slowly straightening herself out until she was relatively upright, though her eyes remained blurred from the tears. Once she had accomplished that much, her lips adopted a sad smile.

"It's funny." she began to speak, in a tone that told Amuro that it was anything but. "I always wanted to get off that colony and travel the galaxy, enough that one of my biggest fears growing up was being stuck there for the rest of my life. I spent years looking for a way out of Shangri-La, and even went against my parents' wishes in doing so."

She allowed herself to sniff before going on. "But now...now I finally got my wish. It cost my family and my home, but I'm finally on a ship heading away from that damned colony..."

"Fraw..." Amuro started, but faltered when he realized he still didn't know what to say.

In response, Fraw shook her head. "And the worst part of it is...after all that's happened, I only realize now that..." she continued. _"...I have nowhere to go."_

As if responding to her own statement, Fraw cringed as she forced back the urge to burst into tears again. "That damned colony had everything important to me, and now it's all gone! My family dead, my home destroyed, the life I knew erased, and here I am with no idea of what to go on from here!" Finally, she allowed the tears to come forward again. "No matter how hard I try to think, I can't figure any of it out! Where do I go from here! How can I move on from _this_!"

Even through the pitch darkness, Amuro could "see" the desperation in Fraw's eyes and she looked back towards him. "Can _you_tell me Amuro?" she nearly pleaded. "Can you tell me what I'm supposed to do now...?"

Amuro remained silent, as he tried to come up with a response, but once again being unable to. It also didn't help that Fraw's emotional tone had become even more conflicted than it had been before, and the result was holding a negative effect on his own psyche, like an empathic poison.

"...this shouldn't be a problem for you, should it?" Fraw stated, the desperation in her voice and emotions growing. "For a genius like you, this is an easy problem to fix, right? No different than what you've had to deal with on that mobile suit, yes?"

She looked down. "So please..." she started again, before looking back up, more tears floating away from her eyes. "...please tell me...!"

Subconsciously, Amuro flexed his fists as the tension once more washed over him like a tidal wave, forcing him to clench his teeth together to hold against it. Slowly he looked away, eyes closed as he himself tried to hold it all in. "I'm sorry..." he murmured, just loud enough for Fraw to hear it. "I don't have any answer to that question either Fraw. Something like this is... far from what I've had to deal with on the _Gundam_." his voice became more downtrodden. "Even I only know so much...!"

Fraw could only stare back as Amuro struggled with himself, trying to make sense of his own feelings and his own desire to lend comfort to his longtime friend. The continuing flow of emotional tension from Fraw wasn't helping him of course, as her anguish literally compounded upon his own turmoil, causing him to internally writhe from it all. At first, Fraw moved to tell him to forget what she just asked, only for Amuro to blurt out. "All I can say is...for whatever it's worth..."

Another moment past before Amuro could continue. _"I...I...I'm here for you...and I'll make sure...you get to Earth..." _The medical student felt herself momentarily overcome with shock at Amuro's declaration, even as he continued. "...just like I told you before...!"

Hearing that, Fraw allowed herself to sigh, closing her eyes and allowing a small, barely noticeable smile come over her. It was an awkward statement to say the least, made by one who obviously didn't how to talk to another human being, much more another human being in anguish, but it was enough for her. Yes, the loss she felt, for her parents and everything else, was still there and it still continued to eat away at her, but if only for a moment, she acknowledged that she was not alone. And it only took all of Amuro's efforts in order to remind her of that fact.

"I'm sorry..." Amuro blurted out again, her silence having made him even more uncomfortable with his declaration. "...if that's not good enough..."

Fraw only shook her head. "No, it's enough..." she replied, still tearful but much calmer.

At that, she attempted to move closer to him. This only caused Amuro to stir uncomfortably to her proximity, so Fraw, understanding, moved to a point where she was close, but not close enough to disturb the pilot further.

"I'm the one who should be sorry, for forcing this on you." Fraw continued. "With all that's happened, I forgot how much you struggle with human emotion."

Amuro nodded in response. "As long as you're alright Fraw..."

"Heh." Fraw stated flatly. "I don't think I'll be alright for a long time Amuro." she looked away, feeling the loss well up in her again. "Something like this...I'm not sure if I'll ever heal from it." She then looked back at him. "But, all the same, I'm grateful to you for trying."

Upon that, Amuro thought he felt something else well up in Fraw. Something that felt far off, like a distant sunrise, and barely describable in nature, only that it was directed toward him most of all. Naturally, that only made him feel even further uneasy, and so he decided now was the time for him to depart. "I've got stuff to do." he said hesitantly. "But if you need anything, you can call me or anyone else on the ship, so long as you don't disrupt operations."

"Yes." Fraw acknowledged simply.

With that, Amuro turned and made his exit, once again leaving Fraw alone to her thoughts and struggle.

* * *

Slipping a cash chip into the vending machine, Sayla quickly dialed the combination for the drink she was wanting. A moment later, the whirring sound of grav-plates and circuitry sounded up, with the former lifting the select beverage, chilled Ammanan coffee, from its holding area and quickly deposited it into the front slot. From there, Sayla took the coffee in hand and reclaimed her cash chip upon its ejection, before turning around and moving to a nearby table in the _Ark Royal_'s mess hall.

At this point, lunch had long ended and most of the crew was either on duty or finding recreation elsewhere, which resulted in the mess being deserted. This was a good thing, as Sayla needed the privacy; there was so much on her mind now that any company, even among those who were relatively close to her, would be more a hindrance than a relief. That plus the fact she had just returned from the hardest mobile suit dogfight that she had ever taken part in, one that even surpassed the Battle of Riah, the melee where she had earned her status as an ace alongside her vaunted alias, in struggle and difficulty. As such, she also needed a period of respite before the next battle, which knowing her enemy, was all but guaranteed to occur soon.

The enemy. Sayla frowned deeply at that phrase and how it now described the very last man she ever thought to meet in battle, at least on opposite sides. _Brother..._ she thought, her gaze narrowing down at a spot on the table. _...was that_ really_ you?_

Again the images played in her mind at that thought. The sight of a red _Zaku_, beam axe falling upon _Unit Alpha_, only for her to intervene and parry with her beam saber. Then the sensation that ran up her spine as she "saw" past the physical plane and into the crimson machine, the symbolic weapon of Zeon and _everything_ she hated of and within it, and from her position amongst the stars, beheld what was _inside_ the machine. The spiritual pressure, the raw emotion, the very _feeling_ coming from that entity within, all of it came into her senses and elicited emotions in a way that no other being in the universe could have done. And then, a moment later, it was all severed when _Unit Alpha _continued the attack.

The memories alone were enough to cause enough anguish in Sayla that she brought up her fist and, in a silent cry of rage, slammed it into the table with a thunderous crash. In fact, there was enough force behind the blow that the metal actually _concaved_ around her fist, much like it would have had a Terran silverback gorilla laid its hand upon it. Fortunately however, there was no one else present to witness Sayla's incredible feet, much less question her origins as there was only one subspecies of humanity that was _renowned _for that level of strength. As such, Sayla retained her fist for several moments longer, all the while fighting against the urge to cry.

_It's impossible...!_ her mind sounded out as she squeezed her eyes shut, her body trembling from a combination of sorrow and rage. _We both swore on our father's grave to never forgive nor forget what that traitor __and his bastard siblings had done to us, our family and Zeon. We both promised vengeance upon them...!_

_So why..._ she all but screamed in her mind, the trembling becoming outright violent in its scope._ Why were_ you_ in that _Zaku_!?_

There were many explanations to that question, yet no way to confirm any of them at this time. Even so, none of them changed the fact that her brother was fighting for the Zabis under the alias Char Aznable, nor the fact that he had already taken part in many of Zeon's conquest of Federal worlds and elsewhere. Sayla found herself sneering at that prospect as well; despite the fact she herself was fighting as a Star Force pilot, she didn't particularly care for the Earth Federation beyond the fact it was the one faction that had a chance of defeating the Empire. Even so, she was more than sympathetic to the individual worlds that made up the Federation, the same worlds that had decided for themselves to align with the EF and live prosperously under its flag, only now to be subjugated under the name of Zeon as inferiors. The very idea that the Red Comet had aided the Empire in their subjugation made her stomach turn, no matter what her brother's reasons were for perceivably following Gihren von Zabi's banner.

Taking a moment to calm herself before she bashed another crevasse into the table again, she sighed and sat back, finally taking a sip of her coffee. The liquid did well to refresh her as well as drain away some of the tension, but she still felt worn from all of it. The war, the last battle, her crusade against the Zabi family, and now seeing her long lost elder brother in an enemy machine; it all made her feel more exhausted than she had ever felt in a long time. She supposed it was only natural; even with all the superiorities she possessed over the "average" human, one of which had been demonstrated when she indented the table, she was not completely infallible to fatigue, physical or in this case mental. After all, she, like everyone else in the Federation, had been fighting a losing war despite her skills and her best efforts, a losing war against a once proud and noble empire that had been morphed into a twisted oligarchy by a tyrannical usurper. An empire that now possessed the blood of countless on its standard, starting with that of its rightful ruler.

Therein lay the difference: whereas the Federation had been at war with Zeon only for the last few years, Sayla Mass had been at war with the Empire for nearly her entire life. A war that, as of now, she was no closer to winning than when she had first declared it. No closer to wrapping her hands around Gihren von Zabi's throat and ripping the very life essence out of his mortal form, nor to avenging her father and all those who had died under his command. No closer to liberating the galaxy from tyranny, nor returning all to the proper course as laid out by Bismarck von Daikun and his descendents. No closer to victory, while each passing moment such a conclusion became all the more uncertain.

But even so, so long as she lived, her war also lived regardless of her momentary exhaustion. Taking another sip of her coffee, thereby rejuvenating just a little bit more of herself, Sayla focused back on Char Aznable and the notion that her brother had really gone over to the enemy. Again her insides twisted at the notion of his supporting Gihren, but this time she managed to keep her emotions from overruling her composure. After all, only the lowborn allowed themselves to truly fall prey to their emotions, and while Sayla may have not been _entirely_ perfect, she was still anything _but _a lowborn commoner.

If there was any consolation to this dilemma, it was that Sayla now knew where her brother was; he had disappeared from her life so long ago, and Sayla had all but given up on tracking him down. In fact, one of the alternate reasons for her joining Star Force, outside fighting the Zabis of course, was because she had originally believed that her brother had gone over to the Federation for the same purpose. Needless to say, it had been disappointing for Sayla when she had been unable to track his name or known aliases in the Federal registry, and now that he had finally been located, she found herself even more disappointed.

Fortunately there was still time to get a proper explanation on her brother's apparent choice in allegiance. Char Aznable may have been a Zeon pilot, but that didn't mean Casval had gone over to the Zabis completely, and again there were more likely possibilities out there than his simply being a traitor. The trick, however, would be finding a proper time and place to confront him, without alerting either the Zeon or her Star Force "allies" to her true intentions, much less her connection to the Red Comet. That would be a difficult task, but not impossible.

At the very least she would get her first opportunity soon. Even without her special senses, Sayla could _feel_ Casval was out there, giving chase to the _Ark Royal _after its narrow escape. And knowing him, he would continue to pursue the Federation carrier until he could mount a full attack, and when that happened Sayla would be deployed with the rest of the 13th Carrier Assault Group to defend their mothership.

And it was from this notion that, contrary to her fatigue, made Sayla flash a small anticipating grin at the corner of her mouth. At long last, she would finally get her desired reunion with her beloved elder sibling, and on top of that be able to slay even more of "Emperor" Gihren's minions. What more could she want?

* * *

The bridge had fallen silent ever since the _Ark Royal _had entered warp speed. For most of those present, it was a moment of relief, as the Zeon were no longer shooting at them and they were on their way back to Earth. Of course, this was counterbalanced by the (rightful) fear of the Zeon still tracking them from behind while cloaked, alongside the anxiety of not knowing when the enemy would choose to attack. As such, besides the silence there was a fair amount of dread emanating from the bridge crew, who went about their duties in short order, but were otherwise unnerved.

For the life of her, Mirai wished that she weren't among their number, that beside her rank of Commander she also held the iron skin that the experienced had gained from the constant warfare. Unfortunately, that was not the case with her as she, like a fair amount of her subordinates she had yet to find a way to keep the tension from getting to her. The reason for this was natural; unlike Bright, Sleggar and select others, she had not participated in any of the major battles that had occurred since the war's beginning. Instead, her experience only constituted on border patrols and interdiction operations from her previous post, the cruiser _Suzuya_, which in themselves had been fierce but not as hardening as the likes of Arcturus. As a result of this, while Mirai possessed the skill for her role aboard the _Ark Royal_, and could easily do her part when the fight arose, she had yet to find a way in establishing a complete inner calm in herself, a way to keep the battle from overly effecting her nerves the way more experienced officers could.

Of course, part of the reason behind her present anxiety, she surmised, was that she didn't know _how_ they were going to deal with the Zeon on their collective tails. In that regard, she cast a side glance toward her CO, who was still going over a series of holographic star charts in front of his chair. While Mirai might not have been perfect as an executive officer for a Federation fleetcarrier, she had been such long enough that she knew Bright Noa _always_ had a plan when the situation arose. And when he didn't, he was fast enough to come up with one at a moment's notice, which was obviously what he was doing now. Mirai only wished that she were able to anticipate his strategies on the spot, but unfortunately there was only one individual aboard the _Ark Royal _who could rightfully claim to know and anticipate the captain's mindset.

And soon enough, that same individual quickly slipped onto the bridge, still dressed in his custom blue normal suit with his helmet slipped off. Without skipping a beat, Sleggar Law remained at the rear of the bridge with his arms crossed, eyes staring straight into the back of Bright's chair, never speaking a single word. That in itself unnerved Mirai; the "strong and silent" description never worked well with Sleggar, as the ace only turned into such when the situation truly became tense.

For a few more moments, Bright continued to look over the star charts. When that time had passed however, he quickly rose up. "Commander Ryu, you have the conn." he stated to the _Ark Royal_'s second officer, Lieutenant Commander Ryu Jose, all the while continuing to move toward the back door. A few more moments later, he was through the entryway, with Sleggar and Mirai both following close behind.

After a quick trek through the walkways, they came across to the captain's personal office, which much like in ancient AD era warships was placed not far from the bridge. The office itself was fairly cozy in spite of its military background, possessing chrome colored walls and dark bluish carpeting. The captain's desk was mounted in the middle the far end, just in front of a giant rearward monitor that was currently displaying stars speeding past. Spread out around the office was a resting couch and some chairs, alongside a few decorations like ship model and so forth, while adoring the sides of the office were various pictures taken on Bright's home city of Portsmith. Just behind his desk however, was another line of pictures, hand sketched images of past ships named _Ark Royal_, alongside the vessel's official seal in the middle of them: a navy blue and gold outlined circle, topped with an equally golden crown and depicting what appeared to be the original Ark, which was also topped by a crown, set amongst a field of stars, while along the bottom was a banner that read _Per Ardua ad Astra_. Overall the office was comfortable for its occupants, but still retained the militaristic nature and grandeur one would expect.

Without any pause, Bright moved to his desk and took his chair, while Sleggar and Mirai both took seats in front of it. "I'll get straight to the point." Bright started. "What I'm about to share with you may seem...unorthodox, if not contrary to standard tactics. Even so, I've surmised that this is our best chance toward eluding the Zeon."

Both Commanders remained silent as Bright tapped a keypad on his desk. In a second, the monitor behind him flickered, replacing the scene of stars flashing past with a digital map of the galaxy. A few keystrokes later, the map narrowed down to a certain star system, which displayed a orange dwarf star, three planets and an asteroid field between first world and the last two. The display read as "Star System X-145".

Immediately Mirai felt confusion come over her. "We're going to make our stand there? In an unexplored system?"

"Indeed Commander." Bright replied. "With the nearest Federation system, Jericho, being almost two weeks out, I'm afraid that is where we'll fight the Zeon."

He continued before Mirai could respond. "The plan is simple: once we exit warp speed, we will take the _Ark Royal _into X-145's asteroid field..." the map immediately highlighted the band. "...and use it as a defensive screen, all the while launching a forward mobile suit squadron to provide navigation. Should they pursue, the Zeon will be forced to abandon their cloaks, as well as be greatly hindered in their advance."

Mirai, in spite of her professionalism, felt her gut clench at the prospect of taking a fleetcarrier like the _Ark Royal _into a treacherous area like an asteroid field, but said nothing as Bright went on. She did, however, visibly gulp. For his part, Sleggar only smirked, again reflecting on a certain science fiction trilogy.

"This maneuver will also leave the Zeon vulnerable to surprise attack." Bright turned toward Sleggar. "You will take the remaining three squadrons and move rearward. If you verify any Zeon presence, you are to _remove it _and return as quickly as possible. The method of your attack will remain up to you."

Sleggar nodded. "Do I have permission to use the _Gundams_? And that includes _Unit Alpha_."

Bright closed his eyes and answered, in spite of his reluctance. "You may use the _Unit Beta_ and _Unit Gamma_, but I must insist that _Unit Alpha _remain behind, as Lieutenant Amuro is still too inexperienced and we need at least one prototype to make it back to Earth."

Sleggar shook his head. "I have to disagree Bright. While Amuro is definitely a rookie, he knows his machine and how to utilize it; that makes him all the more vital to this mission, perhaps even more so than Sayla or myself. That said, _I _must insist in bringing him along, as he's our one trump card against the Red Comet."

Mirai looked at him with an arched eyebrow. "You plan on deliberately pitting a rookie against Char Aznable? Even when it took all three of you just earlier?"

Once more Sleggar smirked, causing Mirai to inwardly grimace; she always hated that display of self-righteousness on her ex's part. "If you recall, he held his own quite well last time." Sleggar stated matter-of-factly. "At the very least he'll distract him while the rest of us take out the ships and regular units; even if Amuro doesn't take down the Comet, poor Char will wind up without transportation or support. And unless his _Zaku _is carrying a warp drive, he'll also wind up stranded."

He then turned back to Bright, smirk ever present. "Either way, we'll lose our tail."

Taking that in himself, Bright sighed, but nodded all the same. "Very well, you may use _Unit Alpha_, but to a point."

"Can do." Sleggar stated in turn.

And then it was Mirai's turn to speak. "With all due respect, Captain, I don't like this plan." she stated, gaining Bright's attention. "It's bad enough that we're taking the _Ark Royal_, as big as it is, into something as unpredictable as an asteroid field..."

"'They'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't they?'" Sleggar interrupted nonchalantly. This caused Mirai to turn and glare at him again, to which he turned and smiled innocently. "What?"

Shaking her head, Mirai continued. "...but for all of Katz's skill, he's still wounded. I don't think he'll be up to the job, sir."

"I'm inclined to agree Commander." Bright replied with a knowing glance. "Which is why you'll be replacing Katz at the helm once we reach X-145."

Mirai looked back in surprise, though in her short hindsight she should have expected it. She had started out as a helmsman on the _Suzuya_, which Bright was well aware of, and she likely had far more experience at the station than the still relatively green Katz had in the here and now. That made her the obvious choice, though this would be the first time she ever piloted something as large as the _Royal_, which was nearly twice as big as her previous ship and one of the biggest classes Star Force fielded. The only thing bigger in the Federation's arsenal, to Mirai's knowledge, was the _Trafalgar_, Fleet Admiral Revil's near-legendary flagship, which was over a kilometer in length.

But despite all that, Mirai acknowledged the command anyway. "As you wish sir." she stated, managing to keep the hesitation out of her voice, though someone as sharp as Bright would likely pick up on it anyway. If he did though, the Captain chose to ignore it.

Looking over to the side, Bright quickly tapped another key, causing a small chronometer on his personal, desk mounted monitor to flash on. The chronometer quickly began to count down from two hours and twenty seven minutes, which was the length of time the _Ark Royal _had before she would reach X-145.

"We have just over five hours." he stated in turn. "Mirai, head back to the bridge and take the conn. I'll follow you up shortly. Sleggar, begin formulating a plan of attack; at 1607, we set up for the operation. Dismissed."

Both nodded and turned back to exit, leaving Bright to remain in his office. As soon she was out and making her way back to the bridge, Mirai let out a small sigh to the open air. _So much for the milk run..._

* * *

**Zeon **_**Scharnhorst**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Richthofen  
**_**Warp****  
June 18, GC 379**

Within the relative comfort of his personal quarters, Char had settled down quite well. The soft but dynamic tones of "Vallon Sonore" from Louis Hector Berlioz's _Les Troyens_, as performed by Zeon's Imperial Philharmonic Orchestra, rang out over the audio system, establishing a somewhat emotional aura within the room. And finally, there was Char himself, sitting at his desk and looking over his personal monitor, scanning what was displayed with great interest, while his mask and normal suit helmet sat to the side.

One after the other, the images of the three new Federation mobile suits, taken from his own _Zaku_'s main camera, shifted across the screen. His eyes narrowed at them as they came and went; aside from the ancient Greek letters that were stenciled onto each unit's left shoulder, the MS were indiscernible from each other. Their capabilities and overall performance seemed to be the same as well. Yet even so, each one had been controlled by pilots with their own unique combat styles, and Char did well to remember how each individual unit had fought against him. This was one of the reasons why he was going over the images now; he wanted to be sure he had committed each Greek letter alongside each pilot and fighting style to memory, especially before the next battle.

Naturally, that wasn't the _only _reason. The other half became apparent when Char brought up a particular image, one depicting the mobile suit with the letter Gamma on its left shoulder having interlined itself between Char and the one marked Alpha, blocking his beam axe strike with its sword. He frowned at that image as he looked into the digitized yellow eye cameras and again pictured the one he had "felt" within the machine. _I should have known Artesia would join Star Force._

The very idea made him cringe, albeit only a little. He had sincerely hoped that in spite of all that had happened to them, Artesia would have chosen a peaceful life for herself, one that remained outside his own desire for vengeance and destruction for those who had wronged them. That had been the reason why he had chosen to leave her behind with one of their most valued supporters and patrons not long ago, to ensure that wish, but now, looking upon the image of the Gamma unit, he saw that Artesia was never able to put aside her virulence toward Gihren von Zabi and his traitorous family. It was natural he supposed; Artesia had been quite young when their father passed on and their line put asunder, younger and more prone to her emotions than he had been during that time of madness. Defecting to the Federation to carry out her personal vengeance had been the obvious choice for her to make.

It was then a sound only window opened on his monitor. "Dren to Captain Char..." Dren said from the other end.

Char frowned again, quickly deactivating his music. He had left orders not to be disturbed unless it was an emergency, yet going by his subordinate's tone, it didn't seem like the ship was about to self-destruct or anything. Even so, he opened a connection. "Char here. What is it Dren?" he tried his best to keep the displeasure from his voice.

Dren seemed to pick up on it regardless. "Forgive me Captain. I was going over the battle footage and... I thought you would want to see this."

A second later, images appeared on Char's monitor, this time depicting the enemy _Midway_-class carrier instead of any of the new model mobile suits. Curious, Char watched as one of the images was highlighted, and then zoomed and centered upon the carrier's bridge. When it finished zooming, the Zeon ace immediately recognized what Dren wanted him to see. As per standard Federation protocol, the vessel's name and serial number had been inscribed on top of the bridge, and Char had no trouble reading it to himself.

**E.F.S. ARK ROYAL  
CV-13**

A flash of memory came over Char alongside a small smile; he definitely recognized that name, as he had read it once before, not long ago at Arcturus. "So..." Char said simply. "...she survived after all."

"It would seem that way sir." Dren replied. "According to Intelligence, only four out of thirteen _Midway_-class carriers remain operational; the rest have been destroyed in one way or another. And as you know, this particular Trojan Horse was thought to have been among those lost, but..."

"There was enough left to salvage, and so there are _five_." Char acknowledged, again recalling his previous encounter with that particular ship. During Arcturus, he had heavily damaged the ship, blowing off both of its bow mounted "legs" as well as most of its weapons before finally destroying the bridge itself. However, when he was about to finish it off, Federation mobile suits had intercepted him and forced him away, causing him to lose track in the process. Despite this, the _Ark Royal_, as it was identified, had been assumed sunk or scuttled after the battle had ended, as there just didn't seem possible for her to survive the onslaught with such damage.

And yet, here it was, having made it all the way to Shangri-La to blow its way past Char's forced and make a warp dash toward Federation space. Char wasn't particularly religious, at least in the traditional sense, but even he could not die that such an encounter was any less than a miracle. The question was, how many miracles did this ship have remaining? "Where is she heading now?"

"Following their assumed course, they seem to be heading toward a star system, X-145." Dren stated as he looked over the data. "It's an uninhabited system consisting of a Class K star and three planets, all Class L."

Char's eyes narrowed once more as he pondered that information curiously. He had expected the Federation captain to try and hold pace to Jericho II, but it seemed that this Feddie was going to make a detour along the way, obviously to try and shake off his pursuit. The question was, how would he do it? What did X-145 offer for elusion from the Zeon?

With little time, Char immediately booted up information on the system and, immediately looking upon the asteroid belt that Dren failed to mention, quickly realized his answer.

"How interesting." he spoke as he looked over the band. "The enemy captain is more daring than I thought."

"Sir?" Dren questioned.

"In an hour, have the officers assemble to the briefing room. I'll explain everything there." Char replied simply, before cutting the channel. He needed what time he had left for himself.

Sighing, Char quickly reengaged Berlioz, before sitting back and resting the back of his head on his hands. Even now he could still feel Artesia's presence out there in the void, in spite of the lightyears between them. And he had no doubt that she could feel him as well, such was their bond. For the life of him, he wished that she were not out there now, on the very ship that he had laid to waste once before, and was likely to do again. But such was not to be.

Suddenly feeling exhaustion catch up to him once again, Char drifted off with one final thought in his head.

_Father... what would you have done... if you had been confronted with such a fate?_

* * *

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Warp****  
June 18, GC 379**

With a certain sense of unease, Amuro came up to the ready room designated for the 105th MSS. He wasn't sure what he was doing there, only that he had been ordered there by Commander Sleggar, and that was all that really mattered. As such, after pushing a button or two, the door slid open and Amuro entered in.

Immediately Amuro took in the sights and sounds of the new setting. Many chairs and desks were arrayed in several rows covering the floor, while at the far end of the room was a massive display screen as well as a holographics projector, which was flanked by two smaller screens. The screen on the left was currently displaying the Earth Federation Star Force emblem, a golden anchor-shaped cross, while the right displayed the 105th's squadron insignia, a brown and black shrike bird holding a red ribbon in its talons, placed over an inverted dark blue triangle. A podium stood to the far left of the monitor. Beyond those, the only other things that occupied the room were the Shrike pilots themselves, of which there were ten.

Entering cautiously, Amuro eyed the other pilots in the room, some of which eyed him back, all the while he moved to find a chair for himself. They all wore the standard Star Force normal suit, which was just like his except colored grey instead of white, and they each had their own unique traits in one way or another, with some being around his age while others were very much older, as well as possessing different mannerisms and expressions as they went on doing whatever. Amuro himself wasn't inclined to take note of any of them however; they were all on the same side, and that's all he really cared for.

At least, up to the point he came across _her_. Sitting near the middle of the room, as he recognized, was that red _Guncannon_ pilot, the one that had taken over _Unit Gamma_ in the battle before. Up close, Amuro saw that she was about his age if maybe a little older, while possessing blonde hair that she kept tied in a ponytail and the brightest blue eyes that he had ever seen in a human being. Like himself, she was dressed in a personalized normal suit, which was colored red instead grey or white, while her physique was quite slender, but not outright anorexic. Currently she was sitting back in one of the chairs, reading a book of some kind; an _actual _book instead of a datapad.

Even now, he could feel a mysterious pressure emanating from her, just as he had back on the colony. However, before he could ascertain how or why, the door swung open again to reveal a young looking Lieutenant Commander enter.

"Attention on deck!" he called out. Simultaneously all eleven mobile suit pilots snapped at attention, as did the Lieutenant Commander.

From there, Commander Sleggar entered the room, distinguished by his dark blue normal suit amongst the lot. "At ease." he spoke simply, causing everyone to sit down. Amuro quickly took his seat next to the _Unit Gamma _pilot, who in turn placed her book to the side and focused to the front.

"As I'm sure you have all heard..." Sleggar began. "The Zeek taskforce that attacked Shangri-La is likely still behind us. We have no way of verifying that, as the enemy ships would obviously be cloaked; that means we have to go with the assumption that they're still there."

His expression turned even more grim. "And to make matters worse, they are all being led by this man..."

The main screen flashed, switching to an image of a man dressed in a polished red uniform, one that bore the rank pips of a Captain, while his face was covered over by a silver mask and helmet combination. On the left side of that picture, data page also phased into virtual existence, though many were quick to note that there was very little information beyond the name and rank. Needless to say, the atmosphere in the room became much, much colder. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Captain Char Aznable of the Zeon Empire."

Under her desk, Sayla could feel her hand draw into a fist at that image, but she said nothing. The briefing continued.

"While Star Force Intelligence has very little on his background, his combat record is more than established." Sleggar stated, letting the screen flash to display a set of statistics. "During the opening weeks of the war, he was credited for singlehandedly destroying an interdiction force that had been sent into Zeon space: three _Eurymedon_-class cruisers and their total compliment of eighteen mobile suits. At the Battle of Arcturus, his kill rating was estimated at over thirty mobile suits and five _Actium_-class battlecruisers. Beside those, he also did significant damage to this very ship; fortunately, he was intercepted before he could finish the job."

A new image flashed, displaying the same red tinted _Zaku_ that Amuro, Sayla and Sleggar fought outside Shangri-La. "His main trademark, besides the Shredder mask and helmet combo, is his machine: this red _Zaku_, which among other upgrades, has been customized with enhanced mobility, estimated to be thirty percent faster than the standard model. Indeed, our friend Captain Char is quite the speed demon, even more so than the average _Zaku_ pilot; his entire combat style centers around hit-and-run tactics and evasion, to the point that he's literally flown circles around _Guncannons_."

Sleggar frowned. "Thus the origin of his epithet, which was coined by one of his victims at Arcturus." he took a breath before continuing. _"The Red Comet."_

The Commander let that sink in before he went on. "Make no mistake people, Char is one of the best. At Shangri-La, it took Sayla, myself and Lieutenant Amuro in the three _Gundams_ just to hold him back. That said, in the coming battle, _avoid engagement at all costs_."

The screen then shifted to show images of the _Scharnhorst_-class battlecruiser and two _Dresden_-class cruisers from before. "Now, besides the Comet, the enemy taskforce is composed of at least one battlecruiser, two standard cruisers and assumedly just over twenty mobile suits. We don't have an estimate on the latter, as several of their suits were destroyed in the previous battle, but it's a good bet we'll be in for a fight anyway."

The screen again altered, this time showing the map of System X-145 that Bright had utilized before. "The plan is simple. Once we exit warp speed, the _Ark Royal _will enter this star system's asteroid field, with Owl Squadron acting as forward spotters. Should the Zeeks pursue, which is pretty much a guarantee, they will be forced to abandon their cloaks, and their sensors and mobility will be greatly hindered." a diabolical smirk soon formed on his lips. "In other words, they'll be completely open."

The map then shifted on a close up of the asteroid field, this time displaying the Zeeks' assumed positions and the layout of a battle plan. "While Owl Squadron is directing the _Ark_ along, we, alongside Kestrel and Harrier Squadrons, will advance rearward. With any luck we'll catch the Zeeks dead center of it; if that is indeed the case, we will enclose over them while using the surrounding asteroids for cover. With any _more _luck, the Zeeks won't realize what's happening until the first shot is fired."

The Commander then looked toward one particular pilot, a tall, burly man with tanned skin, dark hair and a natural leer. "Lieutenant Sanders, since your suit has the biggest gun, you will have the privilege of the first shot. If all goes to plan of course."

When the pilot nodded, Sleggar went on. "Our primary targets will be their warships, namely that red _Scharnhorst_. Without their ships, the surviving Zeeks will be stranded out there, assuming they don't surrender to us. Either way, they will be unable to pursue any further."

The another data window opened on the main monitor, this time displaying the lineups for each squadron. "Once again, Sayla and I will be in _Gundam Units Beta_ and _Gamma_. Alongside, Lieutenant Amuro will be joining us in _Unit Alpha_."

_Goddamnit, I should have known...! _Amuro thought, suddenly feeling his gut tighten. Even so, he wisely kept his mouth shut as the Commander went on.

"The _Gundams _will give us a greater edge against the Zeeks, but again make no mistake; it will take more than their power to win this fight. As such, I am relying on each and every one of you to perform at your best and see this mission through. Any questions?" Sleggar finished.

Another pilot, this one a tough looking woman with dark red hair, raised her hand. "Just one Commander. If we are to avoid engaging Char at all costs, then what's going to stop him from repeating Arcturus on us?"

At that, Sleggar let out a chuckle. "I almost forgot about that detail. Thanks Karen." he then looked toward Amuro. "Lieutenant Amuro will have the honor of holding the Comet down."

The reaction to that explanation was far from positive, as looks ranging from shock to outright doubt came across the Shrike pilots. However, none of them could match the fury that suddenly overcame Amuro at that point. "Are you out of your mind!?" he bellowed, creating even great shock amongst the crowd. "It's bad enough that you're including me in this operation, but you're also sending me against _that_!?"

Sleggar looked back skeptically. "And why shouldn't I include you in this op?" he asked, sounding more amused by the display rather than put off. "You're a pilot after all."

"I'm a _test _pilot. I'm not supposed to go into actual combat!" Amuro corrected vehemently.

"They say there's a first for everything." Sleggar replied. "And you already fought at Shangri-La, so..."

"That was because the damned Zeon attacked and I had no choice!" Amuro bellowed back.

"And you think you do now?" Sleggar replied back with his characteristic smirk.

Amuro cringed, taking a moment to measure his words carefully. "You already have _Unit Beta_ and _Gamma_; why do you need me and _Alpha_?"

"Expertise, my young charge." Sleggar replied back in a smoothened tone. "You know your machine far more than Sayla and I know ours. Sure, we can fight with them, but we don't know what their full capabilities are, whereas you're well aware of _Unit Alpha_'s."

He turned serious again. "And that's what I'm relying on here. If we can't beat Char with skill alone, then we'll use the _Gundam_'s tech to our advantage."

"Even so...!" Amuro started to counter.

"Commander, if I may." Sayla suddenly spoke up, causing all attention to shift to her. "I would like to engage Char in Lieutenant Amuro's place."

Sleggar raised an eyebrow. "Besides the obvious, may I ask why?"

Sayla's eyes narrowed. "With respect, I disagree with your assessment. Against an opponent such as Char, I believe experience and skill are needed more than technological gimmicks." Amuro leered at her for that, but she ignored him. "With Lieutenant Amuro lacking experience, and yourself being occupied with leading the attack, I believe I am the obvious choice."

Despite her words, Sleggar couldn't help but feel there was a lot more there, and he didn't fail to again recall Sayla phasing out of the previous battle after a direct confrontation with Char's _Zaku_. However, as Sayla wasn't saying anything else, Sleggar decided to stick with the given statement. "Sorry Sayla. You're good, but not _that_ good. And even then, I'll need you more against the other _Zakus_, because they'll be just as much a handful."

He then turned back to Amuro. "So once more Lieutenant, the honor of taking on the Comet falls to you. Congratulations."

Amuro's narrowed even further. "Sir, you can't do this...!"

"On the contrary, I can and I have." Sleggar stated, now deciding that a little force was in order. "The fact is, I don't care if you are 'just' a test pilot. I don't care if you are involved in some top secret project. I don't care if, by a series of strange and unfortunate events, you ended up getting shanghaied into this fight. Hell, I wouldn't have cared if President Jamitov were your daddy. What I _do _care about is that you're on this ship now and that you can pilot a mobile suit; maybe not expertly, but good enough for what I have assigned you."

Sleggar then stepped around the podium, so that he could face down the upstart Lieutenant. "And as the CAG of this particular vessel, you can damn well be sure I can assign you to _anything_, whether be it galley duty, waste disposal detail or just being my personal bitch." he couldn't help but smile malevolently at Amuro's shock over that last one, while several others let out a hushed chuckle. "Maybe when we reach Earth that will change, but until then you're under _my _authority, and that means I can do whatever I please with you and that glorified action figure you pilot."

The Commander stepped closer, until he was practically towering over Amuro. "That is all to say whether you like it or not Lieutenant, you _will_ be going out there with the rest of us. In fact, you will be doing so with or without your mobile suit..." his smile increased. "...or your _normal _suit for that matter. So I suggest you comply willingly."

Amuro's glare only intensified under the dressing down, but he said nothing more. That was good enough for Sleggar, who turned back to the rest of his pilots. "If there are no other questions..." he paused briefly for the reply, only for none to come. "...then this briefing is concluded. Good hunting. Dismissed!"

* * *

As the _Ark Royal _hummed with its engines lit and its course set, Bright sat back against his chair and watched as the endless stream of white continued to enfold his ship. It was an all too familiar sight to him, to the point that he rarely even thought about it even when it was occurring in front of him. This time however, he did think about it, but only how different it was now; at one time, when he was younger and of much lower rank, he would have received vertigo just from starting at it for too long, a common occurrence amongst "newbies" to space travel in itself. Now though, with time and experience in sailing across the void, it was nothing of great note.

However, it appeared that he would not be looking at it for much longer. Katz suddenly began to speak up, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Now entering X-145 in seven... six... five... four... three... two... one...!"

All at once, the tunnel of light ended and was replaced by black and smudges of brown and grey in the distance. At this, Bright stood up from his chair and walked closer to the main monitor, until he was standing right next to the helm station and Katz. "Magnify."

A second later, the image was enlarged, until the asteroids practically took up the entire screen. Bright frowned at what he saw; some of those rocks looked bigger than the _Royal _herself, and there seemed to be an infinite number of them. Even so, he knew that this was their only chance; the alternative was running all the way to Jericho and hoping the Federation garrison there would intercept the Zeeks first, a far riskier and less precise strategy than wading through the asteroids to be sure.

After looking at the asteroids for a moment longer, Bright then turned and began making his way back to his chair, where he tapped the intercom switch. "All hands, this is Captain Bright. We are about to enter X-145's asteroid field. All damage control teams are now on standby alert. That is all."

He then turned to his XO. "Commander Mirai, please take the helm." he spoke as he moved back and sat down.

Katz looked back as though he had just been dishonorably discharged on the spot. However, that shocked gaze softened when Mirai came up and laid a hand on his shoulder, then nodded at him when he looked back at her. Knowing what she and the captain meant by it, the young Ensign lifted himself out of his chair and attempted to walk, only to nearly trip. An able crewmen soon came over and aided Katz to the doorway, while Mirai sat down at her new post.

Bright then turned back to the bridge sensor station, where a nerdish looking young man turned and glanced back. "I'm going to need you at your best on this one Oscar." Bright stated firmly. "If we're going to get through this in one piece."

"No problem Captain." Ensign Oscar Dublin, the bridge sensor operator, nodded in response. "If there's so much as a strain of cosmic bacteria out there, I'll see it before it sees us."

While Bright wasn't sure if that expression was meant to be apt or humorous on the younger Ensign's part, he took it in all the same. As such, he turned around and faced back forward. "Launch Owl Squadron immediately."

With the order given, Kikka quickly relayed it to the waiting mobile suits. Seconds later, the main monitor was filled with _Guncannons _taking off from the bow catapult decks, of which there were twelve. Soon after the last was shot into space, the bulky grey machines launched themselves into the distance, until they became indiscernible from the asteroids themselves. Further in, they outright disappeared into the distance, but everyone on the bridge knew that they were very much out there.

Soon, Oscar's console beeped in confirmation. "Sensors and navigation are now slaved. All ready on my mark."

"Helm is at your command as well." Mirai replied as well, looking more ready to move forward than she really felt on the inside.

In great spite of the presented hazards, navigation through asteroid and debris fields was a far more common event than most spacers would care for. In one way or another, ships would wind up on routes that went through asteroid belts or nebulas or even former battlefields, and thus be forced to snake their way through the obstruction to proceed to their destination. And yet, a ship's sensors alone were usually inadequate in charting a course, as one didn't just have the objects in front of him or her to worry about, but the objects that could move into the flight path as well.

For civilian craft of immense size, the standard protocol was to launch probes into the field and slave their sensors and navigation systems to the ship's own, thereby providing real time data for effective navigation. Military protocol, or at least that of Star Force's, wasn't too different; instead of probes however, mobile suits were sent out, both because they usually held more powerful sensors than probes and they were more adept at avoiding obstruction. Either way, the more probes or MS sent out, the more data could be acquired, and though the _Ark Royal _had over forty eight stored within its hangar bays, a mere twelve would be enough to guide the ship through, or so her captain chose to believe.

With that in mind, Bright nodded back to Mirai. "Ahead one third." he ordered. "Take us in."

Pushing down any reluctance, Mirai complied and nudged the throttle, causing the _Ark Royal _to advance into the field. More than one crewmember held his or her breath as she did so, generating a tense feeling within the bridge at that time. For their part, both Bright and Mirai did their best to ignore it, even as the asteroids became far larger in the bridge monitor than they had before.

And then that tense feeling blew open as the ship rocked from its first impact. "Steady." Bright said with an intentionally calm voice. He quickly activated his holodisplay, which projected a virtual schematic of the _Royal_. It showed the impact having resulted on the port side hangar deck, but much to Bright's relief, there was no damage.

"Even with the mobile suits out there, I won't be able to dodge all of them Captain." Mirai stated as she straightened out the helm.

"I'm aware of that Commander. Just do the best you can." Bright answered, just as the deck pitched again. "We all knew this was going to be a bumpy ride..."

"Sir." Kikka spoke up from her post, inadvertently interrupting Bright's statement. "Commander Sleggar reports that Shrike, Kestrel and Harrier Squadrons may launch at any time."

Bright nodded. "Good." he then pulled up his left sleeve to reveal a chronometer. "Reply to the Commander that they are to launch in T-minus thirty minutes." he tapped a button on the chronometer, causing to begin its countdown. "Starting now."

_29:56..._

* * *

_53... 52... 51..._

Sitting in the cockpit of _Unit Alpha_, Amuro sighed as he waited for those last few seconds to end and the launching to finally begin. He was third in the lineup for launch, with Commander Sleggar in _Unit Beta_ being first and Lieutenant Sayla in _Unit Gamma_ being second, both of which already loaded on the catapult decks as a result. From there, the _Guncannons _would launch not long after he did.

As he continued to wait, frustration and anger festered within his gut. Commander Sleggar had gone out of his way to not only see that Amuro would take part in the mission, but would have the duty of fighting one of the best pilots in Zeon's muster, even after the beating he had taken at Shangri-La. Amuro shivered at the thought; he barely survived that last fight, even with the support of the other two _Gundams_, so what in hell's heart possessed Sleggar to thinking that he was up for a second round? And more to the point, why was he so damn sure, that he refused Sayla's request to fight in his stead, even when the latter was a far better combat pilot than Amuro could ever hope to be?

Unfortunately though, what was done was done, and there was nothing else Amuro could do about it, much to his internal anguish. As long as Sleggar had shoulder straps that bared duel lines and diamonds, he very well could order Amuro to take on the entire force alone and get away with it, especially when they were as far from Earth as they were. In that regard, Amuro hated taking orders from _anyone_, but at the same time he was enough of a professional and an officer that he couldn't bring himself to refute those orders, even if he wanted to. All in all, he could hate Sleggar just as much as he hated Jean-Paul Bouchard before him, but he was going to follow command all the same, as much as it grated him.

And so there he was, ready to fight a battle that he knew he was unprepared for, but willing to go out there all the same. Even so, his bitterness and reluctance remained. _This isn't my war..._

_5... 4... 3... 2... 1..._

"Commencing operation!" a CDC operator stated up front, alerting all the mobile suit pilots at once. "All mobile suits, begin launching!"

Upon that mention, the new bane of Amuro's existence quickly sounded out. "Sleggar Law, _Gundam_, launching!"

From his position, Amuro couldn't see _Unit Beta_ take off, but he could feel the vibrations caused by the catapults. Simultaneously, the elevator began to move _Unit Alpha_ into launch position as well, and Amuro could only sat back and wait as the narrow passage way into asteroid filled space became center in his monitor. He grit his teeth at that, especially when the ship was struck by one of their number and vibrated wildly. The vibrations died down soon enough, and Amuro found himself _really _hoping that he wouldn't smack one of those rocks when his turn came.

"Sayla Mass, _Gundam_, launching!" came the call from Sayla as _Unit Gamma _itself launched. Again Amuro wasn't able to witness it beyond the vibrations, but he didn't care so much.

Soon enough, Amuro felt _Unit Alpha_'s feet clamp down on the catapult, putting him into launch position. Then one after another, status lights flashed green to signal that he was ready. "Path is clear." that operator sounded again. "_Unit Alpha_, go ahead, launch!"

Subconsciously, Amuro drew in a breath as his eyes narrowed at the space ahead. "Amuro Ray, _Gundam_, taking off!"

_Unit Alpha_ took off with a flash. A moment later, the grey mobile suit was free of the _Ark Royal_'s hold and into the blackness, though it had to swerve around an asteroid or two before catching up to _Beta_ and _Gamma_. Not far behind him, the _Guncannons _of Shrike Squadron were also catching up, and further behind them were the Kestrel and Harrier units, all maneuvering around the asteroids with as much ease.

"Shrike Leader to all units." Sleggar's voice came over the radio. "Assume formation and move out! Remember, while we know what direction the Zeeks will advance from, we don't know whether they'll remain together or if they'll split into separate units! That said, keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

"Roger!" came the unanimous reply from the assembled mobile suits, Amuro included. From there, it would be a nice, silent ride toward the battlefield, or so the _Gundam_ test pilot hoped.

* * *

**Zeon **_**Scharnhorst**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Richthofen  
**_**System X-145, Outer Rim  
June 18, GC 379**

Being an experienced soldier and officer, Commander Dren Agani liked to think that he had a feel for how the Federation fought against his kind. Whenever the situation arose, the Commander could always fallback on a mental checklist of the various tactics and strategies the Feddies had used against Zeon, both reported and witnessed firsthand. Alongside this, he also kept a list of every noteworthy Federation commander, as well as their own personal set of tactics and strategies, in the back of his genetically engineered mind to call upon should an encounter ever take place. In that regard, Dren might have not been as skillful a tactician or commander as Captain Char, but he was a competent Zeon officer all the same.

With that stated however, even he was baffled at what he saw before him, as he stared out at the mass grouping of rock and metal; the same field that the enemy captain had taken his ship, a full fleetcarrier, into in order to evade the Zeon pursuit, as well as cost them their cloaks and mobility. Captain Char had summarized it before their reaching here, and the _Richthofen_'s sensors had isolated the _Ark Royal_'s particle trail into the field, but even so Dren could not believe any of it. In his experience, most Feddies preferred caution over boldness; the latter was more a Zeon trait, more or less a side effect of their enhancements and superior intellect. And yet, somewhere out there, one such Feddie had thrown caution out the airlock and embraced boldness to the letter, taking a great risk for a singular possibility.

Needless to say, Dren could not keep the baffled expression off his face, nor the feeling of begrudging respect for this Feddie from eclipsing his heart. Of course, this was countered by his own hesitance to drive the _Richthofen_, as well as the _Rostock_ and _Schleswig_, into the field as well.

"Don't look so worried, Commander." Char's holographic visage spoke to Dren beside the chair. The Captain was once more in his personalized _Zaku_, awaiting launch. "The odds are still in our favor."

"I understand that sir." Dren replied grimly. "But that doesn't mean we have a clear advantage either."

"True enough, but for our success, this will have to suffice." Char stated in his smooth tone. "Now, give the order."

Dren nodded, then looked forward. "All ships, decloak and advance!"

With a ghostly wale emanating through her hull, the crimson hulled _Richthofen_ materialized in view, alongside the green hulls of her cruiser allies. Once they fully emerged, their main engines engaged, causing them to advance toward the field while their launch bays opened. Soon enough, _Zakus_, led by Char's unit, shot out from their catapults and moved into the field ahead of the warships, their sensors and navigation systems already slaved to their respective ships. Beam bazookas replaced the usual beam machine guns in their arsenal, at least for some of them.

For his part, Char had no problems moving around the asteroids; in fact, he was far more skillful at it than his fellow pilots. At the same time however, that was not the real issue for him. He had already surmised the enemy commander's strategy; lead the Zeon into the asteroid field and then, while they are hindered, launch a mobile suit force to intercept them. He admitted such a strategy was fairly creative, but at the same time not all that unpredictable; had Char been a lesser man, he probably would have not seen it coming, but he wasn't a lesser man. All the same however, the question was where exactly would the Federation attack force intercept them, which Char didn't have a definitive answer toward. As such, his best bet was to rely on his special senses to pick out the Feddies before the trap shut.

And that in itself was a problem. Unlike at Shangri-La, He couldn't use his special power to figure out the enemy's location beforehand, at least not willfully. To do so would risk alerting Artesia to his position, and while he had no doubt where her heart laid in this conflict, she could very well warn her Federation allies of the Zeons' advance. In fact for all he knew, she could have seen him as a traitor and become even more determined to oppose him. As such, he could only use his powers passively.

_Artesia..._ he thought, once again regretting his decision to leave her behind so long ago. But what choice had he held at the time? He decided not to think about it for much longer, instead concentrating on navigating through the field.

* * *

Amuro's suddenly eyes widened as he felt a familiar surge run down his spine, alongside familiar imagery in his mind. In fact, it took him by such surprise that he almost collided with an asteroid as a result, but out of instinct alone if nothing else, managed to barrel roll out of the way at the last possible second. One of his fellow pilots attempted to hail him to see what the matter was, but he didn't answer; he was too focused onto his sudden alertness to.

_Is that...? _he thought, looking over his sensor displays while continuing onward. As he half-expected, they showed nothing but obstructions around him, but that didn't change what he had felt. The Zeon were here. He knew it.

Though he wasn't sure, he could summarize that the enemy force was directly in front of them some distance off, such that if his own group continued on its course they would run right into them. The same "feeling" had also told him that the while he was aware of them, no one else on the opposite side knew the Feds were coming just yet, and that they were proceeding through the field under the assumption that the _Royal _hadn't deployed MS, aside from those that were helping it navigate the field. And just as well, he also "felt" that Char was there, leading the pack from the front but also totally unaware of the approaching attack.

With all that in mind, Amuro tapped a button and established a comlink with _Unit Beta_. "_Unit Alpha _to Shrike Leader."

A moment later, Commander Sleggar's image appeared on his monitor. "Shrike One here. Go ahead _Alpha_."

"Commander, the Zeon are directly ahead of us." Amuro said, trying to mentally establish the exact coordinates. "Around three-five-one, mark one-one-six and closing. We should be over them in a few minutes."

The Commander raised an eyebrow. "And how do you know this?"

Amuro opened his mouth, but had difficulty coming up with the words. "I... just feel them out there sir. I can't explain how."

For a short moment, Sleggar was tempted to disregard Amuro's readings as a product of rookie tension, but just as he was about to tell the young Lieutenant to stop the useless chatter, something in him halted his reply. That same something also gave him the strange notion that the _Gundam_ test pilot may be right in his reading, and that he should at least check on it. Deciding to follow that advice, Sleggar established a comlink with _Unit Gamma_. "Lead to Two, scan ahead to three-five-one, mark one-one-six."

Upon those orders, Sayla looked toward the horizon and narrowed her eyes. Soon enough, her mind became filled with imagery of the Zeon warships and MS, still a far distance away in her perspective but easily discernable, as well the human presences she felt. Getting what she needed, she quickly replied. "Two to Lead, the Zeon are there and closing." she then thought about that. "How did you know?"

Sleggar blinked himself at that confirmation. _I'll be damned_, _we_ really _got them dead center._ he thought, as a diabolical grin folded over his face. "_Alpha _picked them up. Don't ask me how." Sleggar replied, before switching to the unit push. "Shrike Leader to all units, the Zeeks are ahead. Repeat, the Zeon are directly ahead of us. Move to Ambush Pattern Omega and standby to attack."

As soon as the command went out, the attack force halted their advance and scatted, each MS taking cover amongst an asteroid in accordance to Ambush Pattern Omega. From there,_ Guncannons_ settled in, folding down their trademark weapons over their shoulders while taking careful aim with their beam rifles, ready to fire at a moment's notice.

Sayla followed on this as well, quickly finding herself taking cover on the same asteroid as _Unit Alpha_. She looked out at the other _Gundam_ curiously as she settled in; that was the _second _time Lieutenant Amuro had detected an incoming threat before she could. And indeed, she did feel a strong presence from the fellow Lieutenant whenever she turned her power upon him, one that was almost completely different from any other being she had encountered. However, now wasn't the time to contemplate that, not with the Zeon practically in their killzone now. As such, she stuck to business, shifting _Unit Gamma_'s bazooka toward the direction the Zeon were coming from. _Forgive me Casval. _she thought as she focused.

From his position behind another asteroid, Sleggar could just depict the red _Scharnhorst_ and accompanying green _Dresdens_ in the distance, alongside the _Zaku_ escorts, which were swerving around the rocks just as he and his had done earlier. Indeed, they were coming in fast and blind, just as Amuro and Sayla had said. That caused his smirk to grow a fraction. _Not only is there a God, but from this, he's clearly on _our_ side_.

He quickly called out again. "Shrike Ten, do you read?"

"Right here Shrike One." Lieutenant Terry Sanders replied, waving the right hand of his unique _Guncannon_ toward _Unit Beta_. Unlike the other _Guncannons_, as well as the _Gundams_, Sanders' unit was a specialized unit, identifiable by the single cannon barrel that came over its right shoulder and a special weapons targeting sensor module on its left, alongside somewhat more modular armor on its chassis.

That unit was the _Guncannon Buster_, a specialty mobile suit designed to hit targets with the firepower of a warship, in the form of a high-powered mega beam cannon that had replaced the standard _Guncannon_ weapons. Up to the _Gundams_' debut, it had been the most offensively powerful MS in existence, though this came at the cost of an unstable power system, which in turn kept the type from being as heavily produced as other _Guncannon_ variants. Even so, Sanders had somehow managed to get his hands on one, and now it served as the Big Fucking Gun of Shrike Squadron, if not the 13th Carrier Assault Group as a whole. Needless to say, _that _was the reason why Sleggar was giving Sanders the honor of the first shot.

"You locked and loaded?" Sleggar continued, feeling anticipation well up toward seeing that BFG fire again.

"Damn straight I am." Sanders replied, also sound anticipating. "Already got a bead on one of the cruisers. Just give the word."

Sleggar's grin increased another fraction. "In that case, the word is given." he replied, sounding almost too anticipating. _"You may fire when ready, Gridley."_

* * *

Char was just rounding another asteroid when it felt as though the Hammer of God struck down the steel of the universe. Seemingly out of nowhere, a massively powerful magenta beam lanced out and struck against the portside of the _Schleswig_, piercing straight through the hull and exiting the other side, in the process thoroughly gutting light cruiser's insides and causing her main powerplant to go critical. No more than a split-second later, the entire ship detonated with one resounding flash, turning into an expanding field of flame and wreckage. Char could only cringe as he felt her crew vanish in their ship's demise. "All units, evade!"

He would soon realize his command came out too late, as one by one, more bolts of energy erupted from the asteroids and launched themselves onto the beleaguered Zeon mobile suits, all of whom had been caught in the relative open. All at once, three _Zakus_ went down from the rain of magenta beams, while even more were damaged or outright maimed in some way before they were able to properly evade. The _Richthofen_ and the _Rostock _didn't escape damage either, as several more beams, including those fired by that enhanced cannon, fell upon them as well, destroying several of their gun emplacements and battering their hulls right down their respective bows. Both the ships and the mobile suits attempted to fire back at their attackers, but they were unable to line up their targets precisely.

Running almost on instinct alone, Char was one of the few that came out unscathed. As each blast rang out, he banked his _Zaku_ to and fro, narrowly avoiding each shot as if he were dancing around them. Once he managed to work his way to a brief pause, he twisted his suit's mono-eye around and focused toward the origin point of the fire. Sure enough, he saw a large grouping of _Guncannons_, as well as the three new models, hiding out in the asteroids and firing away in rapid succession.

_There can be only one reason why I didn't sense their approach... _Char thought grimly. Indeed, he had predicted this strategy beforehand, yet had walked blindly into it all the same. The only explanation for that was special senses had been nullified, much like a jammed sensor, by another who possessed power similar to his. And it didn't take too many guesses to figure out who exactly.

He quickly switched his comm. system over to broadband. "Meteor One to all units! There are at least thirty Federation suits directly ahead of us! _Richthofen_ and _Rostock_, provide covering fire! Everyone else, advance!"

Upon that command, both the cruiser and the battlecruisers main guns blasted forward as the _Zakus_ went into a full charge, Char's unit at the head. Now detected and under heavy fire from the capital ships, the Federation suit had no choice but to abandon their cover, flying out from the asteroid like a collection of fireflies evading a thrown rock. To their credit however, they too charged at their enemy, and soon enough, that portion of X-145's asteroid field became a full battleground as _Zakus_ and _Guncannons _weaved around one another continuously.

_I underestimated you Artesia. _Char thought grimly, as he himself took to the battle, gunning down a _Guncannon Trooper_ with a precise bazooka shot as he passed. _I did not believe you would be capable of blocking out my power; you wouldn't have been able to years ago. Indeed, you have grown into a powerful warrior...  
_  
A flow of warning coming through his mind quickly interrupted his thoughts. Shooting his mobile suit backward, he watched as yet another beam lanced down to where he had been, this one more powerful than the others (save for the ones fired first). From there, Char turned up in time to see one of the new models charging at him, firing bazooka shot after bazooka shot toward his position, only for him to evade each shot as easily as he had been to this point. He didn't need to guess which of the three that unit was, not with that kind of pressure.

"So we meet again, fledgling." Char smirked as he again banked and fired back with his hip mounted missile launchers, which the new model deflected with its beam shield. He then attempted to move away to go after the other _Guncannons_, but his enemy once more shot into his flight path and intercepted him. It didn't take much for Char to figure out what the enemy unit was doing.

"Trying to hold me back are you?" Char spoke with some dismay, as he tried to fly around the new model only for it to move into his flight path yet again. It figured as much; the only way the Feddies would be able to do real damage would be if he were held back, so they sent the one unit which could outpace him to do just that. Thus, if Char wanted to turn things around, he would have to take out this enemy first, which he had failed to do at Shangri-La even when it had been fighting him alone. All the while things went to hell around him.

Even so, he again smirked at the challenge, as he flitted around the grey Federation mobile suit and vice versa. "Very well then. I shall teach you that even your mobile suit has limits." he stated before pressing the attack. "Especially when it goes against the Red Comet!"

* * *

And so the battle begun with what would have been a thunderous salvo, had it not been for the fact there was no such thing as sound in the depths of space. All the same, Sayla charged with the rest of her comrades, bazooka at the ready and her targets arrayed in front of her. During that charge, she peered to the side to see _Unit Alpha_ begin its own rematch with the Red Comet. She sneered agitatedly at that; not so much at _Unit Alpha_'s pilot, but for the fact that it should have been her in that fight, for more reasons than anyone realized. Unfortunately though, Sleggar's orders stood, and violating them would arouse more suspicion than she cared to have toward herself. Thus with one last glance toward the grey _Gundam_ and the red _Zaku_ in the distance, she turned back to her own battle. _Damn the Fates for denying me this chance..._

With a nudge on her foot pedals, _Unit Gamma_ dove into the fight, narrowly avoiding bazooka and machine gun fire from the _Zakus_, alongside cannon fire from the capital ships, with practiced maneuvering. She wasn't entirely used to the _Gundam_ yet, but at least she got a decent handle on it now, allowing to pull off maneuvers and evasions that she would never have been able to do in a _Guncannon_. As she did so, she returned fire herself with her bazooka, but aside from blasting one _Zaku _to kingdom come, she failed to hit anything significant. At least initially.

It was not long before the Zeon moved to attack her. Before she knew it, two _Zakus_ diverted away from the rest of the pack and launched after her, firing their own bazookas as well as a torrent of missiles from their hip mounted launchers. It didn't take much for Sayla to evade both the blasts and the missiles, while those she couldn't avoid she simply shot out of space with her vulcans. She then let loose her bazooka once more, striking one _Zaku_ through the center and obliterating it while the other pressed for the attack. Taking its comrade's death to heart, the second unit quickly abandoning its bazooka in favor of its beam axe and charging for a melee kill. Sayla response was to reach up with her left beam gauntlet and shatter the axe wielding arm at the elbow. She followed this with a well placed kick to the _Zaku_'s chest, sending it flying away and leaving it open to another bazooka shot to finish it off.

"All units maintain approach!" Sleggar commanded as _Unit Beta_ came barreling in, three more _Zakus_ already moving to attack it. Rather than fire back at them, Sleggar leveled his bazooka and fired it directly into a nearby asteroid, fracturing it and raining shards into the trio. One _Zaku_ was destroyed immediately, while the two others were only stunned. Sayla quickly set about against one, stowing her bazooka and drawing a beam saber, her favorite weapon in the _Gundam_'s arsenal, before moving in and slashing the _Zaku_ in half. Sleggar himself took out the remaining _Zaku _with another potshot.

Despite the Zeons' hardened resistance, Sayla could feel that her side was slowly overwhelming them. Indeed, she could see _Zakus_ being driven back by _Guncannons_ in nearly all vectors, all the while panic and indecision was rampant among the Zeon ranks. It also didn't help that the Zeon pilots were clearly unused to maneuvering in crowded space, making them more susceptible to the _Guncannons_' concentrated firepower. There also seemed to be a gap in overall skill between the Zeon pilots and the Federals, one that hadn't been present with the Shangri-La garrison.

Unfortunately however, the fight wasn't entirely one sided, as she saw another _Zaku_ team cornering one group of _Guncannons_ from Kestrel Squadron, obliterating them with a concentration of machine gun fire. Cursing at that, she launched _Unit Gamma_ forward and systematically cut down the _Zakus_ with her still lit beam saber. The last one made a valiant attempt at firing its missiles at point blank, to which she simply evaded, moved around the _Zaku _and reverse thrust her saber directly through the Zeon suit's back and cockpit.

_If there's one consolation to all this, at least I get to fight with something greater than a _Guncannon_..._ she thought toward her machine, just as she withdrew her sword and moved away, searching for new targets. Yes, she had piloted _Unit Gamma_ before at Shangri-La, but it was only now she was getting a full feel of its power. A power that was well beyond anything she had ever comprehended in a mobile suit. _The power of a _Gundam_..._

Up above, she tracked yet another _Zaku _leveling off its bazooka for a sweeping blast, and just as the two others of its team charged with their beam axes drawn. Sayla predatorily leered at their approach, just as she drew her second beam saber around and charged as well.

* * *

Amuro forced the raw panic back into himself as the red _Zaku_ come stormed after him again. Swinging back his bazooka, he fired several potshots at the enemy machine, only to watch the so-called Red Comet literally dance around each shot; he wasn't even banking now, just twisting and turning in space with minor jets from his suit's foot thrusters. Toward the last second, the _Zaku_ redrew its own bazooka, righted itself and fired its own beam at _Unit Alpha_. Amuro responded by flitting away.

"Goddammit!" Amuro shouted as he attempted to fired back, only for the red _Zaku_ to again make a show of his attempts to kill it. For the _Unit Alpha _test pilot, this duel was even worse than the previous one at Shangri-La. The fear was also a lot more tangible. "You won't get me that easily!"

The _Zaku_'s apparent response was to casually dodge a few more of Amuro's shots, before stowing its bazooka. Then, with certain flourish, it drew its beam axe and then gunned its thrusters toward the _Gundam_. Realizing what was about to happen, Amuro pumped shot after shot from his bazooka, but once more the red Zeon machine evaded his attacks with more ease than Amuro thought should have been possible. It turned and twisted as it came down, until it was almost literally face to face with the grey mobile suit. In a panic, Amuro fired his vulcans, but Char merely responded by evading and chopping its bazooka at the barrel. Fortunately, Amuro recovered quickly and attempted to drive his right handed gauntlet into the _Zaku_'s cockpit, but Char was once again quick to evade.

The test pilot glowered at the _Zaku_ as it responded to his attack with a hip missile spray of its own, one that was so close that he could proverbially spit on the incoming projectiles. Jetting to the right, he dove behind a nearby asteroid and drew the missiles into it, causing them to explode against the rock. Unfortunately, his opponent followed up on this by rearming his bazooka and firing a shot into where the missiles had detonated, turning the asteroid into raining fragments that slammed against _Unit Alpha_. Amuro managed to deflect most of the asteroids with his beam shields, only for the _Zaku_ to charge in for the kill, beam axe raised for an overhead strike. Barely having milliseconds to respond, Amuro fired another burst from his vulcans to force the _Zaku _to engage its own beam shield, just before he again flitted some distance away.

Immediately after he returned to normal space, Amuro drew one of his beam sabers and shot after the red _Zaku_, which was just able to turn around and deflect his attack with its axe blade. Both mobile suits quickly exchanged high speed slashes and parries for a time, just before Char managed to knock away Amuro's sword and then slash at _Unit Alpha_'s head, which Amuro was barely able to deflect with his beam shield. In response, Char used his opposite arm and punched his opponent in the torso, just before bringing the axe down and leaving a large gash in _Unit Alpha_'s chest. Had Amuro not jetted back at the last millisecond, it would have certainly hit the cockpit.

_Such power...! _Amuro managed to hurriedly think just as the _Zaku_ stepped up its assault, slashing more and more at the _Gundam_ in waves. Out of sheer desperation, Amuro managed to deflect each slash, but only just barely. _I'm being beaten back again!_

Then, with great suddenness, the _Zaku_ charged in and executed a spiked shoulder tackle, sending _Unit Alpha_ flying backwards. With a hard smash, Amuro felt himself fling back against his chair, just as blood trickled out from his nose. Then, through a combination of blurry eyes, blood droplets floating in his helmet and terror in his gut, he saw the _Zaku _ready its axe for another strike, which Amuro instinctively raised his saber to parry.

Before the blow could come however, the red machine froze in its motion, its mono-eye turning to the right, back toward the main battlefield. It was obvious that Char was getting a message from one of the Zeon ships, likely informing him that the Federation suits were breaking through or causing heavy damage to the Zeek forces. Whatever it was, the _Zaku _quickly stowed its axe away, turned around and then shot toward that direction with a fair amount of exhaust.

Without a second thought, Amuro moved once more in front of the _Zaku _and brought down his saber against the red machine's axe. Holding their blades together momentarily, Amuro stared deep into the Zeon unit's mono-eye, again feeling the fear and panic inside him threaten to boil over as he did so. He held his ground regardless.

"Commander Sleggar ordered me to keep you away." Amuro muttered, trying to ignore the feeling of his beating heart threatening to rip out of his chest. "I won't let you anywhere near the others!"

With that, he threw the axe aside and attempted to slash at the _Zaku_'s chest, but the red machine immediately flitted away and attempted to move around. Amuro quickly intercepted again and once more their blades met.

* * *

_I can't believe it... We're actually _winning_...!_ Ensign Hayato Kobayashi, Shrike Eleven, thought as he poured more fire from his _Guncannon Trooper_'s shoulder cannons and beam rifle at the various targets before him. Indeed, unless his monitors were somehow lying to him, his side was actually winning; slowly but surely, the number of enemy mobile suits was dwindling, and those that still remained were having great difficulty holding back the Federation tide. In fact, several of them were already drawing back against the onslaught; in that regard, Hayato found the prospect of _Zakus _fleeing before him to be strange but quite welcome. All this, thanks to Commander Sleggar's gambit of throwing a rookie in the most advanced mobile suit ever conceived against one of Zeon's leading aces.

Hayato himself hadn't thought much of Lieutenant Amuro, a sentiment that was likely shared with the rest of Shrike Squadron, but that mattered very little at this point. So long as the whiney "test pilot" held the Red Comet in check and allowed everyone else to take on the rest of the Zeeks in stride, the Ensign didn't mind having him around. But that in itself could wait until after the battle; for the time being he had targets to try and blow up.

"Damn, look at 'em run!" Ensign Kai Shiden, Shrike Twelve, called out as he hurtled his own _Trooper _into the melee, firing his cannons in rapid succession. A few of his shots managed to graze or actually blow off limbs on one or two _Zakus_, though he had yet to destroy anything. Of course, knowing Kai as Hayato did, he likely didn't care as much as he got to scare the Zeeks. "We're actually beating them down for once! Can you believe it Hayato?"

"Concentrate on your fire Twelve. You're not hitting anything vital." Hayato stated as he himself fired a beam rifle shot that landed square in the torso of one _Zaku_. The beam easily penetrated the mobile suit's armor plating and blew out the cockpit, before causing the rest of the suit to detonate. At that, Hayato took a moment to smirk at his handiwork; that made his third kill in the war. He then fired at another _Zaku_, but this time his beam shot was deflected by the Zeon mobile suit's beam shield. The mono-eyed giant quickly turned its beam machine gun on the obstinate _Guncannon_, but by that point Hayato was maneuvering, firing back with his shoulder cannons.

Before he could take a proper shot however, another _Trooper_ came upon the _Zaku_ from behind and quickly latched itself on the Zeon mobile suit. And right as the pilot realized what was happening, the _Guncannon _lowered its main guns and shot them point blank into the green mobile suit, obliterating its entire torso and turning the remainder into halves. It quickly flitted away before either half exploded.

"That was my kill Three!" Hayato bellowed over the radio at the newbie mobile suit.

"You would have taken too long anyway Eleven!" Ensign Herz Hudson, Shrike Three, replied as had his suit raise its beam rifle in triumph, all the while flashing his unit's visor. "Seriously by the time you nailed it, another one would have snuck behind and.."

Suddenly a single, wide magenta blast erupted from Herz's right side, several meters away from his own back, thereby interrupting his statement and making him yelp in surprise while ascending. As he, Hayato and Kai looked back, they saw a _Zaku_'s freshly severed bottom torso and right arm, which was gripping beam axe, start to float away in opposite directions, the rest of the unit obviously vaporized in the blast. Immediately, they turned to see Lieutenant Sanders' _Guncannon Buster _fly into their midst, energy glowing off the barrel of its singular cannon.

"I trust even you recognize the irony of that last sentence, Shrike Three." Sanders smoothly stated as he shot up to the trio, who then began flying together.

"Damn it Lieutenant, you almost made me wet my normal suit!" Herz nearly cried out to the newcomer, Shrike Squadron's third team leader. "As if shooting that cannon alone isn't bad enough! You could have taken one of us with you!"

Hayato kept his mouth shut, but he too felt a little edgy being that close to the _Buster_. The unit's mega beam cannon was powerful, but unstable with that same power, and worse yet it was tied directly to its reactor, which meant any power surges from the cannon would affect it as well. Needless to say, accidents were known to happen with the _Buster_, several of them fatal to the pilot and his wingmen.

For his part however, Sanders took the risk, and Herz's statement, in stride. "Please, my _Buster _is too badass to pre-detonate." he stated with a sly grin, before turning his suit back to the battlefield, specifically to the enemy warships. "Now form up. We're going to make a run on that pretty red battlecruiser."

"Roger!" the three subordinate pilots acknowledged at once, all four mobile suits shooting full speed toward the Zeon battlecruisers in the not so far off distance.

Several other _Guncannons_ were already making attacks on the _Scharnhorst_ and remaining _Dresden_, and the warships themselves were sporting additional damage to what they had taken during the initial part of the battle. Even so, neither the battlecruiser nor the cruiser was dead yet, and were throwing up a large screen of beam fire to ensure it remained that way. Some of that fire came directed toward Hayato's group, as did several _Zakus_, but they had no issue avoiding potential onslaught as they progressed.

As they drew closer, Hayato could make out either ship, namely the dagger shaped _Scharnhorst_, in greater detail. Indeed, they were definitely different from his side's craft; whereas Federation warships were staunchly military ships, based around the design philosophies of ancient 20th-21st century AD seafaring vessels, the Zeek ships looked alien, almost demonic, in comparison. That in itself made them all the more terrifying to beheld, as it gave one the impression that these ships weren't made by human hands, almost as if the ships had well and truly come out of Hell itself. Considering what the Zeeks really were, that assessment was likely not so far from reality.

As the four _Guncannons_ closed in on their single target, the _Scharnhorst__'s_ beam phalanxes and missile ports ignited, raining beams and missiles into their path. Hayato quickly put his _Guncannon_ into evasion, as did the other three, narrowly evading the battlecruiser's attempts to deflect them. Once his sensors indicated he was in range, Hayato brought up his cannons and quickly fired off a pair of shots into the _Scharnhorst_'s port side, blasting away the bow beam cannon turret mounted there and adding a few more holes in the hull itself. At that damage, the anti-air beam phalanxes' volume increased toward him, forcing Hayato to evade again as well as engage his beam shield to deflect the other blasts.

Besides him, the rest of his team also moved into attack. After passing through the mesh of yellow beams, Kai quickly let out beam rifle shots of his own, managing to pick off several of the beam phalanx turrets. Herz moved toward the underside and let loose his twin cannons against the ventral hangar bay, blowing it open before turning his weapons along the bow. And then there was Lieutenant Sanders, who attempted to make a run on the bridge but was unable to get past the wall of defensive fire, thereby forcing him to divert away to the starboard side. On that, he fired a sweeping shot from his own mega beam cannon that scorched through the battlecruiser's spherical external power generators there, moving from stern to bow, vaporizing much of the vessel's internal decking along the way. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to use the MBC's full power as he had against the _Dresden _earlier, but it still inflicted much damage on the Zeon warship.

Almost in a rhythm, Hayato tapped his trigger assembly repeatedly as he flew above the battlecruiser's topside, sending more cannon and rifle shots raining down upon it. One of his shots managed to blow away the beam cannon behind the bridge tower; the Federation pilot grimaced at that, as he had been aiming for the tower itself. Even so, the damage was done along with everything else, and the enemy warship was suffering heavily from it. By now, burnt out armor and holes covered just about every portion of the ship, with flames jetting out from some of them in different trails. Yet somehow, in spite of the onslaught, the _Scharnhorst _remained intact and continued to fire back against its attackers.

_Gotta hand it to the Zeeks. They don't go down easily, even when the disadvantage is theirs._ Hayato thought as he passed by for another attack. Neither he nor his comrades got that far, however, as two more _Zakus_ intervened to protect the near stricken _Scharnhorst_. Hayato grit his teeth together as he was forced back into fighting mobile suits again.

* * *

With a surge of thrust, _Unit Beta_ dove backwards, avoiding a beam machine gun burst from a _Zaku_ and then firing back with a bazooka shot of its own. The _Zaku _was able to evade that shot, but not the follow up, the result being its entire right arm assembly being blown away. Sleggar quickly followed up on that by riddling the damaged mobile suit with vulcan fire, eventually causing the whole unit to detonate. He smirked at the flare it gave off, before turning away.

Pausing for a moment, Sleggar brought his _Gundam_ into upward, at least from his perspective, before pausing to gain a sweeping view of the battle. Indeed, even though the fight wasn't over just yet, he felt like patting himself on the back. The remaining Zeek warships were heavily damaged, and there were only a few _Zakus_ remaining, though it was taking some effort from his side to shoot them down, even with Sayla's support with _Unit Gamma_. And while he didn't have a visual of _Unit Alpha _and its red adversary, the fact Char had yet to appear only meant that Amuro was doing well in tying him down. Indeed, everything was going as well as he hoped it to be.

Of course, that latter fact caused Sleggar to sigh with certain regret as well. "Why can't they all be this smooth?" he muttered to the void, in a tone too low to be picked up by his comm. system. "Better yet, why can't the rest of the war be this smooth?"_  
_  
And as if to break his thoughts, his warning system soon began to blare: he was being targeted. Immediately he jetted away from his original position, just as twin yellow beams flew past. Quickly Sleggar scanned for and soon found the source of those beams: the remaining _Dresden _cruiser, which was firing at him with its remaining main cannon. The vessel had certainly taken a pounding; much of its hull was battered and on fire, while its starboard hangar bay and launch catapult were all completely blasted away. As well, beside the cannon it was shooting at Sleggar with, the rest of its mega beam guns were obliterated alongside its missile launchers and a slew of its beam phalanxes. It also seemed to have lost most of its main thrusters, while the readings from Sleggar's computer indicated its power systems were also failing. All in all, it was a stricken ship, yet her crew apparently refused to abandon her; in fact, they seemed they were more interested in fighting him to the last.

At that, Sleggar's mouth again folded into a full grin. _Such determination is commendable, even for Zeeks_. he thought as he maneuvering. At first, he took aim with his bazooka, but then on a second thought, holstered it. _I'll finish you off in style._

With that, he set _Unit Beta_ down on a nearby asteroid, from which he directly faced the cruiser. Then, believing that the Zeon bridge crew were gazing back at him, he raised _Unit Beta_'s left hand, with the back facing the cruiser, all the while flexing the fingers into a semi-grip. Magenta energy soon glowed from the beam gauntlet port as Sleggar focused power there, casting an eerie light around the hand.

And that was when Sleggar, face encompassed with a grin, began to call out a certain battle cry. _"This hand of mine glows with an awesome power!"_ he shouted, before flying off the asteroid, narrowly dodging another beam blast. _"Its burning grip tells me to defeat you!"_

Dodging one blast after another, he quickly gunned _Unit Beta_'s thrusters to full power. His grin became even larger, almost manic, as he knew the Zeeks were pissing themselves at both his advance and his words. _"Now, here I go!" _he declared, as the cruiser grew closer and closer in his monitor.

After narrowly avoiding the cruiser's anti-air fire, Sleggar flew up to the _Dresden_'s bridge tower, then ascended at the last possible second. From there, he ascended and arced over the bridge, before bringing his mobile suit's right arm forward, energy blazing out from its palm. **_"SHINING FINGER!"_**

Upon impact, _Unit Beta _obliterated the entire bridge, then continuing downward until it drove itself all the way through the cruiser's underbelly. The sheer force of the attack was enough to actually split the cruiser down the middle, with both halves soon detonating completely and leaving only free flying debris behind.

Once more, Sleggar paused to appreciate his handiwork. "Damn I kick ass." he stated, before flying off for additional prey.

* * *

"We just lost the _Rostock_!" Dren hollered over the comm. circuit in obvious panic. "We're not going to last much longer Captain!"

_Damn, I got careless. _Char thought disparagingly as he dodged another burst of vulcan fire, only his opponent to roll to his side and force him to deflect a beam saber attack. "Just hang on Dren! I'll be there soon!"

Quickly Char knocked the grey mobile suit away so that he could bring up his bazooka again. From there, he fired off several more shots, but the Federation machine was able to dodge each one of them. It then attempted to move behind the red _Zaku _and bring its left hand to its back, obviously to use the palm mounted beam weapon there, but Char was able to backflip and jet out of the way. He then attempted to take a rearward bazooka shot, but again the enemy suit dodged his attack.

Char glared as the Federation mobile suit pursued him through the asteroid field, having no problems weaving around the free floating rocks no matter what direction Char sent his _Zaku_. The Red Comet knew the moment he attempted to divert to the main battlefield it would intercept him again; he couldn't have that, not when he was unable to overpower the Federation machine. And even as he maneuvered around one asteroid after another, he knew he was only delaying the inevitable; as much as he didn't like to think about it, the Federation's new model was much faster than his _Zaku_, and would have no trouble catching up to him if given a straight flight path.

_Only one thing to do, and that's take him out in one blow._ Char thought as he barrel-rolled around another asteroid, then banked to his right, leaving a contrail of thrust behind. Sure enough, the grey mobile suit followed and, after executing similar maneuvers, gunned its thrusters and closed the gap between the two, beam saber brandished. Instantly Char twisted his _Zaku _around and deflected the attack with his beam shield, giving him enough time to redraw his axe and counterattack. After he knocked away the beam saber, he again took flight through the asteroids, the Federation machine pursuing relentlessly while banking in and out to attack itself.

Their battle continued like that, with both mobile suits flitting around the asteroids and attempting to attack the other with their respective melee weapon. Had anyone witnessed their battle, they would only be able to depict either mobile suit as red and grey streaks that continuously intertwined with the other, before moving away again at full burn. If nothing else, the battle would have been certainly spectacular to behold.

In the midst of it, Char reached out with his special senses, until they nearly encompassed that whole section of the asteroid field. He saw outward into his surroundings, as well as toward his opponent; not the mobile suit, but the pilot that was manipulating it. He could feel the pilot's instinctive drive as if it were tangible; at this point, the Federation pilot was so focused on keeping him away that he was barely processing thought, though his fear toward Char still remained at a certain level. As well, Char could definitely tell that this boy had the same senses as he and Artesia possessed, and that he was using them, once more if only instinctively, to keep up with the Red Comet just as Char was using his to do the same.

And once again, in spite of the boy's inexperience and relative clumsiness, Char could feel that certain power, the same power he felt at Shangri-La, begin to well itself up from the depths of the Federation pilot's being. A power that even now mystified Char completely.

But he had no way of contemplating that in the heat of combat, and even if he did, that wasn't what he was focusing on. Instead, he kept himself aware of his surroundings instead of strictly remaining on the mobile suit and his pilot, at such a degree that he could almost count the asteroids if he wanted to. He remained as such, even as he kept intersecting with the grey mobile suit and either attacking it or deflecting the opponent's attack, until the opportunity he was looking for came upon him...

_There! _Char's mind called out, as the enemy mobile suit moved to strike at him again. Rather than counterattack with his beam axe however, he deflected the oncoming strike with his beam shield, and then simultaneously engaged his suit's cloaking device. While the device would not shield his presence from his opponent's extrasensory powers, it did cause the Federation pilot to momentarily halt in his tracks, automatic thought process disrupted by the Zeon's usage of an unforeseen maneuver. That gave Char all the time he needed to gun his thrusters and deliver an invisible shoulder barge into the enemy suit, driving it back into a nearby asteroid. The impact was such that it kicked up a massive dust cloud across the giant rock.

When the dust settled and Char had disengaged his cloak, his _Zaku _now stood with a foot on the Federation mobile suit's chest. The pilot was obviously unconscious, as Char was no longer picking up great levels of energy from his presence, and the mobile suit itself didn't struggled under his hold. Char quickly brandished his axe and engaged the gleaming yellow blade, ready to finish off his would be opponent. "And thus it ends." he murmured toward the now dimmed dual eye cameras, as he raised his blade and swung down.

And then, with the suddenness of a lightning bolt, Char stopped his attack, mere meters above the mobile suit's cockpit block. During that action, Char's felt his lips draw back into a small, barely noticeable smirk. "No..." he spoke in a near quieted voice, as he deactivated and reholsted the axe. "You will live on."

He knew he was close enough for the enemy suit's comm. system to pick up his broadcast, but he didn't care. In fact, he actually hoped on some level that the Federation pilot heard what he had to say. "If only for the power I sense inside you, you will live on, so that you will become the bane of all that is 'Emperor' Gihren's Zeon. You will give the Federation the edge it needs to beat back the Empire, so that the Zabis may be completely wiped away and Zeon be returned to its proper rulership. So that all may be reset to its proper course."

Despite his words however, a certain part of Char's mind urged him to finish the Feddie regardless; in fact, it was all but screaming that Char was making the worst mistake he would ever make in this life, and that he and the rest of the galaxy would suffer from his inaction. Indeed, there was always the possibility that boy may end up growing into a force within itself, one that may yet set itself against Char himself, alongside everything he represented.

Even so, Char was resolved in his own words; for the time being, that boy would be a threat to the Zabis, a much needed threat that he may be able to exploit in the future. As such, he beat back the temptation and turned his _Zaku_ away. "Do not disappoint me, boy." he spoke, before jetting back to the main battle.

* * *

Sayla swore loudly as her _Zaku _opponent wailed at her with great might with his beam axe. Up to this point, she had not had any particular difficult with her Zeon adversaries, but this particular pilot seemed to be of greater skill than his or her comrades. After all, he or she was holding against her, and she was anything but average. At least up to that point.

Feeling more annoyed than put back, she let rip with her vulcans, only for the _Zaku_ to bring up its beam shield. In turn, Sayla throttled her _Gundam _to full power and tackled the _Zaku_ with great force. Then in a swift motion she brought her right saber up and slashed at the _Zaku_, but only managing to cut away its right leg before it ascended. She pursued and moved to slash again, but the _Zaku _deflected her attacks with axe parries.

_It's going to take more than that to stop me._ she thought as she increased the ferocity of her attacks, forcing the _Zaku_ to defend more and more. Sure enough, her efforts paid off, as she managed to cut away the _Zaku_'s right arm at the shoulder, also depriving it of its axe and beam shield in one go. The Zeon pilot then made the mistake of lunging at her with a spiked shoulder barge, to which she performed zero gravity bunny hop, moved directly behind the green mobile suit and easily bifurcated it through the cockpit. Both halves floated in opposite directions, with neither exploding, while Sayla quickly slipped away in search of her next victim.

From her sensor readings, Sayla could see that there weren't too many _Zakus_ remaining, and that the number was dwindling more rapidly now. As such, she decided to turn her efforts toward finishing the _Scharnhorst_, which was now making some effort to retreat, once and for all. That in itself wouldn't take too much; the battlecruiser was almost entirely deprived of its armament, and its hull was battered with gashes and flaming refuse. All the Federation pilot merely need was fire a few more bazooka shots into it to destroy it completely. As such, she had just started her attack run toward the bleeding red battlecruiser when she felt a surge of warning run through her system. And just as she turned her head toward the source of that warning, she heard dreadful words come over her comlink.

_"It's the Red Comet!"_ someone screamed out. Sure enough, a red _Zaku_ soon appeared in visual range, and was already firing bazooka shots of its own toward the assorted _Guncannons_. Several were quickly obliterated, while others managed to dodge the initial attacks.

"Herz!" Sayla heard another pilot, Shrike Eleven she believed, call out as another _Guncannon_ exploded. She cursed at that. _Was Amuro taken out?_

From that, she reached out into the field and, much to her relief, she found that the _Unit Alpha_ pilot was still alive and his mobile suit intact, only incapacitated. They could easily be retrieved after it was over. For the time being though, Sayla reignited her beam sabers and shot after the _Zaku_, ready to have her confrontation after all. "This is Shrike Two! I'm engaging the Comet!"

"Negative Two, do not engage. Repeat, do not engage Char." Sleggar replied over the comlink. "Shrike Leader to all units, disengage and pull back to the _Royal_. We've done all we can here. No way in hell the Zeeks can follow us now."

Certain obscenities, words that she would never allow herself to utter verbally, began to well up in Sayla's mind at those orders. And yet even so, at the sight of the retreating Federation suits on one end, and equally retreating, as well as far more damaged, Zeon on the other, she understood their reasoning. Even with the Red Comet still active, the Zeon would be able to pursue the _Ark Royal _any further, much less mount a strengthened attack against them. As such, there was no more need to risk their lives, especially against an opponent like Char.

Thus, with great reluctance, Sayla bit back the temptation to ignore those orders and quickly replied. "Two to Lead, I'm picking up _Unit Alpha_'s signal some ways off; he's down and out, but still active. I'm moving to retrieve him."

"Acknowledged Two. Don't take long." Sleggar acknowledged, before having _Unit Beta_ head off with the _Guncannons_.

And so, sparing one last glance toward the retreating _Scharnhorst_ and _Zakus_, the last of which was Char's undamaged unit, Sayla turned away and headed toward where she was picking up Amuro's presence. Despite the displeasure she felt for not fulfilling her own objectives, she took solace on one simple fact.

For whatever it was worth, her side had won this day.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Author's Notes: **And with that, another chapter is put forward. I have to admit, I'm having more fun with this story than I expected, and I appreciate the fact it's also getting a decent following in spite of First Gundam not being as popular as it once was. Anyway, hope this chapter was not too difficult to follow; I ended up typing a lot more scenes than I originally planned and somehow it ended up turning into a big showdown instead of the minor skirmish that occurred around Luna II in canon. But then, I'm writing all this from the angle of a TV episode instead of a story book chapter, so naturally it's going to be long.

On that, I like to think I did a far better job than the first series, as I thought the third episode was mediocre. Even the episode title (The Vote To Attack) was stupid; who the hell "votes" on a warship, and what was Bright thinking in putting one forward? I understood his hesitance at going into battle given the situation, but as the _White Base_'s standing captain, it's up to him to make the decision and his decision is absolute, crew's opinions be damned. I also laughed when he asked Hayato for tactical advice; as much a rookie as Bright was at the time, I don't think he was that deprived of tactical knowledge that he needed the advice of a fifteen year old civilian with a biting inferiority complex.

Moving on, I'm a little surprised at how many Kou Uraki fans there out there, let alone ones reading this fic. He's got to be the most worthless main Gundam character of all time, to the point that an associate of mine pegged 0083 as a "chronicle of Kou's failings". Indeed, he went from failing to retrieve the GP02 to failing to prevent the nuking of the Naval Review to failing to prevent the colony drop (even with the most overpowered Gundam next to the Double Zeta) to failing to beat Gato even in the end. Oh yeah, and on top of all that, his girlfriend dumps him for her previous man/his hated rival and only returned to Kou's side because Gato was too in love with the flag to give a damn about her. With that put out, I actually came to the conclusion Kou was a product of the horrid Zeon bias among the 0083 writing staff (if you don't believe me, watch Delaz's "Zeon Fuck Yeah!" speech for a laugh); they apparently wanted the Zeeks to achieve their "glorious and just cause" so badly, that they not only made the Feddies idiots all around, but they also made the main Gundam pilot, usually the "one last hope" for the good guys, inept as well. Seriously, could you imagine what would have happened if it had been Amuro in the GP01? Or Yu Kajima or Ford Longfellow (after having grown up somewhat) or any other prominent Federation veteran? Gato would never have gotten past Torrington, let alone gotten away with harping the "noble" ideals of Zeon without receiving holes in his argument.

All that to say though, despite how it came out in the end, I actually didn't kill off Kou; I left that last portion ambiguous just in case I did actually decide to come back for him. So for all anyone knows or cares, one of his comrades swooped in Athrun Zala style and deflected the burst for him or he himself remembered to dodge at the last minute. Either way, whether I pick Kou back up or not, consider him still alive and breathing.

Moving along, I said in chapter one that certain cast members would be redesigned somewhat, and while it was obvious with personalities and roles for some, I also meant it in terms of aesthetics. After all, _Gundam_ was made back in '79, and in spite of what certain people think (looking at you Yaz), art can age just like everything else. That said, since I'm not an artist myself, I took the liberty of basing _Alpha_'s lineup on designs from different anime. For reference, here's a list of characters and who they now look like (the list may grow as the story continues):

Amuro Ray - Shiro Emiya (_Fate/Stay Night_)  
Sayla Mass - Saber (_Fate/Zero_)  
Fraw Bow - Yuki Tsubasa (_Mazinkaiser SKL_)  
Sleggar Law - Roy Focker (_Macross Zero_)  
Mirai Yashima - Haruka Urashima (_Love Hina_)  
Hayato Kobayashi - Hideto Washiya (_MS IGLOO_)  
Dren Agani - Hill Dawson (_Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn_)

Going further, I remember there being a request for data on the crew of the _Ark Royal_. Following up on that request, I present the _Royal_'s crew listing up to this point:

**EFS **_**Ark Royal**_** (CV-13)  
****Nickname:** Noa's Ark  
**Namesake:** HMS _Ark Royal_  
**Manufacturer:** Utopia Planitia Shipyards  
**Operator:** Earth Federation Star Force  
**Laid Down:** January 9, G.C. 375**  
Launched: **December 21, G.C. 377**  
Commissioned: **February 2, G.C. 378**  
Homeport: **Earth  
**Motto:** _Per Ardua ad Astra_ ("Through Adversity to the Stars")  
**Crew:**  
Captain  
CAPT Bright Noa  
First Officer  
CDR Mirai Yashima  
Second Officer  
LCDR Ryu Jose  
Helmsman  
ENS Katz Hawin  
Weapons Officer  
ENS Letz Cowen  
Communications Officer  
ENS Kikka Kitamoto  
Sensor Officer  
ENS Oscar Dublin  
Chief CDC Officer  
LT Noel Anderson  
Chief Engineering Officer  
LT Mora Boscht  
Chief Medical Officer

Chief Maintenance Technician  
CPO Astonaige Medoz  
Commander Air Group (CAG)  
CDR Sleggar Law

Similar to the _White Base_, the _Ark Royal_'s crew is largely made up of young and inexperienced officers and crewmen. This is due to most of the _Royal_'s original crew being killed off at the Battle of Arcturus (which is obviously _Alpha_'s version of Loum), including the original bridge officers; because of this, when Bright took command of the _Royal_ himself, he had to build his crew back up almost from scratch with fresh recruits and academy graduates, though he did manage to pull some experienced personnel like Mirai in as well. As a result, the _Ark Royal _is considered an ugly duckling in the Federation hierarchy, being a full fleetcarrier mostly crewed by rookies and commanded by one of the most controversial officers in the Federation (you'll see why). Even so, she still gets the job done when it counts, just like her original inspiration.

And yes, I changed the ship name from the _Pegasus_. I did this because, apart from the fact I thought it fitting for Bright (being British and all), I wanted to move away from the "assault carrier" dynamic that's plagued _Gundam_ series since, well, the first one, and have the main ship be a proper fleetcarrier down to the name. That being said though, I've preserved the Trojan Horse nickname, only now it's reflective of the entire class instead of only the main ship. My excuse is that the Zeeks recognize the class' horse-like structure and the fact it usually comes loaded with MS.

And finally, there's yet another addition to the _Alpha _mecha lineup:

**RGC-608 **_**Guncannon Buster**_** -** A specialized _Guncannon_ designed specifically for heavy firepower. In terms of design, it resembles a combination of the _Guncannon Mass Production Type_ from _0080_ (as with every other _Guncannon_ in this story) and the highly underappreciated _Guncannon II_ from _Mobile Suit Variations_, but futuristic looking as with everything else. I never understood why the latter suit was never popular; I always thought it was one of the better variations of the classic RX-77. Certainly would have been nice to see as a Katoki or Izubachi revamp, but alas. Anyway, as the name suggests, the _Buster_'s main feature is the mega beam cannon on its left shoulder, which is essentially a BFG in the _MSGA_ universe. Obviously the MBC has far greater range and destructive power than standard mobile suit weapons (even more than the _Gundams_'), while a specialized targeting scope mounted over the left shoulder ensures each shot's accuracy. This, however, comes at the cost of the MBC being highly unstable, such that overloads and power failures have been known to occur. Not a good thing, considering that the MBC is also linked directly to the _Buster_'s fusion reactor, and as such, power fluctuations on the cannon's part may actually cause the reactor to fluctuate (if not detonate) as well. Because of this, the _Guncannon Buster_ is the least produced _Guncannon_ series as well as something of a wild horse and a death trap to Federation pilots; only the most daring (if not insane) pilots are willing to use it as their mobile suit. Obviously, Terry Sanders would be one such pilot, which is why he gets a _Buster_.

And that's pretty much it for now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	4. Chapter IV: Jericho

**Chapter IV: Jericho**

**Zeon _Scharnhorst_-class battlecruiser _Richthofen_  
Warp  
June 18, GC 379**

"I have to say this was _not_ what I was expecting from you Char." spoke the gruff, domineering voice over the vidfeed, which held a certain level of bemusement in spite of the circumstances. "Not only did you fail to capture the new Feddie prototype, but you also managed to get most of your taskforce destroyed from under you. And if that wasn't bad enough, you're now telling me the _Richthofen _has taken so much damage you are unable to maintain pursuit; not that you could do anything with your mobile suit force wiped out."

The eyes that stared back across the screen narrowed, though they weren't actually enraged. "I can't say this is your finest hour Captain."

"In my honest opinion Admiral, we were unprepared from the beginning." Char exclaimed, not taking his eyes, which remained covered by his mask, from the other man's face. "The original report claimed the Federation only had one prototype and that Shangri-La was defended only by a rear line garrison. Instead, there are _three_ prototypes, while a _Midway_-class fleetcarrier, which holds a carrying capacity nearly double that of my taskforce's combined allotment, has been deployed to serve as their transport. And that's not dismissing the fact this is the very same ship that was believed sunk at Arcturus, not that I ever believed that claim myself."

Though he remained respectful, the intensity behind Char's own gaze quickly matched that of the man on the screen. "Overall Admiral, this entire mission was far from what I was told to expect. Had I and the rest of my staff been properly filled in, my strategy and execution would have been far different."

An arched eyebrow was the other man's response. "Don't tell me you're trying to deflect your responsibilities Char."

"I'm not. As the mission commander, responsibility for its success or failure remains with me. I am merely pointing out the external elements that contributed to its failure." Char replied without missing a beat. "Even so, if you wish to place the blame on me alone, then I understand sir."

That only earned him a laugh from the man with the scarred visage. "If I do that, there'll be riots from here to Paulus over how the 'Hero of Zeon' was unceremoniously discharged. And then there would be the dressing down from I would receive from His Majesty over such a scandal."

At that explanation, Char allowed himself to smirk. "Are you saying I'm invaluable Admiral?"

Thus came another booming laugh from Grand Admiral Dozle von Zabi, Supreme Commander of the Zeon Imperial Guard. Taking a moment to straighten his personalized green and gold, spike shouldered uniform, which had become somewhat wrinkled from his rising bouts, he looked back at Char with even greater bemusement. "I'm saying you are not easy to get rid of."

Char stifled a chuckle himself, if only for the irony in that. "I'll take that as a compliment sir."

"Heh." Dozle replied simply, before considering. "Still, I suppose the mission wasn't _total _loss. In lieu of a prototype, you did manage to gain some valuable data on the Feddies' new toys; perhaps Zeonic or Zimmad will be able to make use of it. At the very least we know what we're up against now."

"To some degree anyway." Char responded with seriousness. "I wouldn't be surprised if we haven't seen their full potential yet."

Dozle nodded with some disposition before changing the subject. "Where are they headed?"

Char took a moment to bring up a stellar atlas on another terminal, which he also transferred for Dozle to see as well. "Going by the course they held before we lost track of them, I believe they're aiming toward the Jericho system. It also helps Jericho II is the nearest Federation base in this sector."

"Jericho?" Dozle replied, again raising an eyebrow. "That's one hell of a coincidence. Admiral Delaz is mounting for an offensive there."

Now it was Char's turn to look peculiar. "If I may sir, I thought Admiral Delaz was leading our forces in the Masada Sector. When was he recalled?"

"Not too long ago, and under the Emperor's direct orders; in fact, the entire operation was put together by His Majesty." Dozle replied grimly, trying to hide his obvious displeasure at his older brother going around him in a military matter. He failed, but Char ignored it. "I can only guess what his aim is."

Char had a hunch himself, but decided not to voice it. "I myself do not question the directions of my superiors, especially His Majesty."

Dozle smirked a little. "Good Char. Keep that attitude and you'll definitely make it through the universe, or at least Zeon's bureaucracy. And on that note, where are you going to fix up the _Richthofen_?"

Char again consulted his atlas. "Elisha seems to be the closest for us. It's remote, but I think the drydock there can handle a _Scharnhorst_. And it will also allow us to regain pursuit when repairs are completed."

The Grand Admiral narrowed his gaze again. "That's assuming your quarry survives Delaz's dagger thrust."

"Oh, they will survive Admiral." Char flashed a knowing grin. "Call it...a premonition."

Dozle grinned back. "Well, if the Red Comet says so, then who am I to disbelieve?" he then got back to business. "In the meantime, I'll make sure Elisha is ready to receive you, as well as send you some new _Zakus _and pilots. If you're going to fight those three again, you'll need all the suits you can get."

Char again nodded in acknowledgment. "Thank you sir." he then replied after a brief pause. "Is there anything else you need of me?"

The Admiral thought for a moment. "No, that pretty much covers it Char. I'll let you get back to keeping your ship afloat." he then gave a sly glance. "Do try not break it any further."

The Red Comet wisely ignored the sting in that. "I'll do what I can sir. _Richthofen _out." he stated, before signing off. He then turned and quickly exited his quarters, beginning to make his way toward the bridge.

As he went, his mind again dwelled upon that ship and those three mobile suits, who were now seeking haven in Jericho, where they would soon find themselves caught in an even worse battle than he had given them. That in itself brought to mind that one rookie pilot, the one who flew the mobile suit marked Alpha, alongside Artesia; how would either of them fair in what was to come?

And yet Char found himself smiling at those thoughts. _Both will survive. If nothing else, I have no doubts on _them_._

* * *

**Federation _Midway_-class fleetcarrier _Ark Royal_  
June 18, GC 379**

Fraw was still floating aimlessly in the darkness and weightlessness of her assigned quarters when her ears suddenly picked up activity coming from the outside. At first, she chose to ignore it; after all, whatever happened on this ship, short of a dire emergency and a call to abandon, was hardly any of her concern. Hell, she wasn't even one of the crew, just a refugee that was tagging along for the ride to Earth. Yet a moment later, she rethought her decision and, if only for curiosity's sake, floated toward her doorway and opened it.

"Damn it, we're losing him!" one of the two grey-uniformed crewmen shouted as they pushed along a hover stretcher. A hover stretcher that held another one of their number, who was covered with some of the worst second and third degree burns Fraw had ever seen. Immediately the crewman that shouted the proclamation began to administer a drug, likely adrenaline, into the nearly dead man while the other continued to push the stretcher along, likely toward the sickbay.

"What the-?" Fraw exclaimed, quickly exiting her quarters and letting the door shut behind her. Her personal troubles forgotten momentarily, she matched the two men's pace and followed them from a fair distance, going down the hallway until she watched them come up to another doorway, one appropriately marked "Sickbay" at the top and holding the ancient Red Cross emblem upon its two doors. From there, Fraw watched as the door opened and the two would-be corpsmen entered, all the while the sounds of frantic cries and pained exhalations echoed from beyond. Just from those two distinct sounds alone Fraw realized something was dangerously wrong, and it was that realization that drove her to move to the door, which automatically opened upon her own approach.

She expected to see pandemonium on the other side. Instead, she was greeted by nothing short of desolation itself. "My...God...!"

The smell was what reached her first; the unmistakable stench of burned flesh, smoke, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. All of it mixed together to produce a unique blend of stench, one that could only be described as "death". Beyond that, the scene before her looked and sounded just as bad; nearly every space in the sickbay was covered with a body of some kind, all of which were covered in burns, bruises and cuts. Some were burned to almost literal cinders, while others were bleeding on some level, and even more were unconscious or having trouble breathing. And even more were obviously dead.

However, what took Fraw back the most was, beside there being very few able bodied corpsmen going around and looking after the wounded, was a certain key fact: there was no higher up medical staff present. No nurses, no doctors. Everything was being handled by the corpsmen, who looked overwhelmingly frantic and unsure of what they were doing.

Suddenly one of the wounded in near Fraw, a kid crewmen in a badly burned uniform began to spasm, eyes slowly closing. Instantly the machines monitoring him began to beep with utmost urgency.

"Code Blue!" someone shouted, another ancient term carried over to the Galactic Century, signaling that the patient was quickly going into cardiac arrest. He and two others quickly moved to the crewman, but as Fraw expected, were clearly unsure how to handle the situation. All the while the crewman's condition became worse.

Without thinking, Fraw moved to the bed. "What do we have?" she demanded.

"Seventeen year old, severe burns and lacerations!" one of the corpsmen answered without taking time to consider who he was talking to. "BP's 60/20, pulse is wavering!"

Taking that knowledge in, Fraw quickly consulted the monitor over the man's bed. "He's flatlining!" she announced, before tossing the scanner to one of the others. The beeping soon changed into a long, shrill whine. "Infusers and point-four atropine, now!"

Again without thinking the corpsmen produced a pair of metal rods with flat circles at the end. Fraw was just as quick to take them and, after the corpsmen ripped off the remnants of the kid's once grey uniform, apply the rods to his chest.

"Clear!" she shouted, sending an electrical pulse through the kid's body. The monitor remained unchanged, as did the whine they emitted.

"Clear!" Fraw repeated, applying the infusers once more. This time the whine ended and the monitors displayed a heartbeat. It wasn't much, but much to Fraw's appreciation, the kid's heart was beating again.

"Atropine!" she called out. Again to her call, one of the corpsmen produced an injector, which Fraw took and quickly applied. A few breath holding moments later, the monitor displayed the kid's heart rate reaching normal levels. He was okay, at least for the time being.

But Fraw was far from done. "What the hell is going on here!?" she demanded to the corpsmen. "Where's your Chief Medical Officer!?"

Still reeling from what had just happen, the corpsmen again answered without considering the one asking. "He's dead! Got killed in the Zeek attack!"

"And the rest of the medical staff!?" she continued.

"Most are dead! The rest of us are only corpsmen and volunteers!" the same guy answered, finally blinking as he realized he was being talked at by a civilian. "Who are _you_!?"

Fraw gave all three of them a cold look. "As you can see, _I'm_ a doctor! The _only _doctor apparently!" she stated, then looking around. "Does this ship have an OR?"

"Yes!" came a reply, directing toward a nearby pair of doorways to the side, one labeled "Operating Room" and the other "Sterilization".

Fraw would have slapped her head for missing either in her haste, but there was obviously much better uses of her time. "Prep it! And get some volunteers for the nursing staff!"

"You think you can save them?" one of the corpsmen again inquired, speaking out for the three. At the same time however, certain hope began to come about between them.

Fraw paused for a very short moment to consider that, looking around her. Yes, she was likely in over her head, a small colony doctor taking on the responsibilities of military physicians, but at the moment she was the only one capable. If nothing else however, it gave her renewed purpose, something that she _dearly _needed at this time, in the wake of all that has happened.

And above all of it, it's what her parents would have wanted of her.

"I don't know, but I _will_ try. Now get to it!" Fraw replied, again moving toward Sterilization while the three dispersed to their new assignment.

* * *

Amuro Ray was _not_ in the best of physical conditions, to say the least. Even after he had awoken from his blackout in the _Ark Royal_'s hangar, his head still painfully rung from his fight with Char, while he felt pain in parts of his body he hadn't known to exist before. It had taken quite a bit of effort for him to climb out of _Unit Alpha_'s cockpit, even more to float toward a nearby turbolift without drifting off, and _even_ more effort to keep himself standing when he the turbolift moved into the _Ark_'s artificial gravity zone. He was still trying to figure out how he managed to get himself to the changing room, strip off his normal suit for his uniform, and then make his way to the mess hall for a late dinner, where he was in the present.

_At least I'm still in one piece. _he thought as he went down the line with his tray, cooks piling on pieces of Aurelian chicken, rice and various vegetables along the way. As Amuro gazed at the food, he felt his stomach grumble, making him realize just how long it had been since lunch. How time flies when you're being shot at by cyclopean death machines.

After getting his food, Amuro spent the next few moments searching for an open table; a good portion of the crew were having chow as well, and thus table space was few and far between. After a minute or so of semi-dazed searching, he finally found an open space, as well as something that made him raise an eyebrow: an indent on the metal table, right next to the space he was intending to sit down at.

_That's different. _he thought as he placed his tray down, and then took a moment to look at the indent. It wasn't particularly large or anything, but it seemed rather peculiar, namely due to its size and smoothed edges. From these details, it seemed as though the gash had been caused by a fist, yet Amuro couldn't imagine anyone on the _Royal _holding the physical strength to make it, even if thoroughly enraged. Especially when these tables were pure steel and could likely withstand a mobile suit foot stomping on them.

So curious to the gash, as well as figuring out _who _exactly made it, that Amuro didn't notice someone coming up behind him. "You son of a bitch!"

Upon that call, Amuro instinctively turned around, only to watch as a fist slammed into his face and knocked him back, stumbling. Quickly recovering from the shock, as well as realizing that was the _second _time he had been hit that day, Amuro let out growl and moved to strike his attacker; a shorter man with black hair, slanted eyes and the markings of an Ensign on his uniform. Fortunately or unfortunately however, several arms reached out and held him and his would be opponent back, before the real fight could begin.

"What the hell was that for!?" Amuro barked at the Ensign.

"For Herz!" the other man roared back with clear intent. "You killed him you bastard!"

"Are you nuts Hayato!?" another Ensign with dark grey hair and lazy looking eyes stepped in. "This guy's a Lieutenant, remember!?"

"Back off Kai! Lieutenant or not, he's still a fuck up!" Hayato glowered, his eyes burning into Amuro's, who winced at the pure rage he felt the Ensign emanating. "It's because of him Char broke through and killed Herz and the others!"

Amuro's rage again got the better of him, but the arms holding him down kept him from attacking. "What are you talking about!? I kept Char back..."

"Not long enough!" Hayato bellowed in return. "At the end, after you were knocked out, _he_ managed to get back into the fight! My friend is dead because of it! Because of _you_!"

"That's...!" Amuro stammered, trying to find a response in light of his rage and confusion.

"Why the _hell _did the Commander pick you!?" Hayato let on, almost in hysteria. "It should have been...!"

"That's _enough_ Hayato!" barked a new voice, causing everyone to turn and watch as a now quite displeased Sayla Mass entered the scene, quickly coming between Amuro and Hayato while staring down the Ensign. Again, Amuro felt certain pressure emanate from the fellow _Gundam _pilot. "Back down, and I promise I will forget this whole affair."

Hayato looked as though he was about to spontaneously combust. "You're _defending _this guy Sayla!?" he shouted incredulously. "After what happened to Herz and the others!?"

"Herz was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the others were just as unlucky." she stated, eyes narrowing further. "Lieutenant Amuro held out against Char as long as necessary, and we completed the mission because of it. There's no more to it than that."

The Ensign responded by gritting his teeth. "That's not good enough Sayla...!"

"It is 'good enough' Hayato, and you will do well to realize it." Sayla stated in turn, her voice suddenly becoming harder as she added. "Don't think you're the only one who's lost something in this war."

At that, Amuro felt several images flash into his mind: an exploding shuttle, a man disappearing in said explosion, soldiers storming some kind of mansion and killing off anyone they came across, a boy with similar features to Sayla holding out his hand. All intertwined with a similar pain and loss that he had felt from Hayato, only far,_ far _more potent.

Fortunately the images were quick to pass, Amuro quickly shook his head and began to speak again. "Look." he said, regaining attention from Hayato and the rest. "I'm sorry about your friend; really I am..."

Just like he did with Fraw before, Amuro took a moment to consider his words, yet still had no idea to go about them. Human emotions, as usual, were beyond him. "But regardless, I don't understand why you blame me for his death. It was Char that killed him, not me!"

That only seemed to drive Hayato over the edge, and once more Amuro winced at his rise in anger. "If you're going to say that, you son of a bitch, _then_ _I'll make you understand...!_"

With newfound strength, the Ensign quickly broke out of his hold and again raised his fist to strike Amuro. Instinctively, Amuro broke his own right arm away and raised to block, but before he could, Sayla moved in and intercepted the fist with her own clenched hand.

All at once, the atmosphere in the room seemed to below freezing as nearly everyone present watched in a mixture of anxiety and awe; even Amuro could only gaze. It was quite a sight to behold, the enraged Hayato attempting to drive his fist into its intended target, only to be held back by the seemingly emotionless Sayla, who stared back into the attacker's eyes with an unaffected nature. All throughout it seemed as though that scene was locked in time, as if decades would pass before one side would finally give, or at least until a higher ranking official would show up and break it all up.

Yet amidst the crowd of spectators, only Amuro noticed that in spite of Hayato's rage and obviously great strength (being a mobile suit pilot and all), Sayla had absolutely no issue holding back his fist. In fact, her hand was not even trembling from the tension; it seemed to be completely locked in place, and nothing Hayato did could break its iron hold in the slightest. This in itself seemed to be reflected in Sayla's gaze, which Amuro couldn't see completely, but could tell both from his eyes and his _other _senses that the female ace was not exerting any real effort in keeping the Ensign at bay. All the while Hayato was expounding large amounts of energy trying to force his way past her, such that sweat was beginning to pour from his forehead.

With sudden, chilling realization, Amuro partially turned and again looked back on that table's indent.

_"As I said, back down."_ Sayla stated, her voice now sounding firm and hollow, as if it had taken on an echo, while certain fury began to build behind her eyes. _"Now."_

As those words spoke out, Amuro felt what could only be described as a wave of pure will wash over him, Hayato and everyone else in the room, though again he was the only one who could identify it. No sooner than this occurred, the Ensign's eyes widened while his initial wrath was soon replaced with fear and caution, as if suddenly realizing he were trying to take on something bigger and far more powerful than himself. It was only then that he stopped his attempted attack, while Sayla unclenched her hand and allowed her fellow pilot to withdraw his fist. As well, one was also quick to note how Hayato was now breathing heavily, as well as suddenly incapable of looking Sayla in the eye.

For her part, Sayla only seemed to regard her subordinate with her usual stoic nature, projecting neither satisfaction at her "putting him in his place" nor the earlier displeasure at his behavior. However, again while watching her, Amuro could easily detect something more lurking underneath the surface.

_Lowborn weakling._ Sayla thought disgustedly at her subordinate's now broken form, knowing that there were more like him on "her side" than on the other. _It's no wonder the Federation is losing this war._

"Lieutenant Amuro report to the Captain's office. Lieutenant Amuro report to the Captain." a female voice rang out over the PA system, as if purposely timed to defuse the situation.

At that, Sayla momentarily closed her eyes to let the tension drain, before turning to face a still bewildered Amuro. "You better get moving. Captain Bright does not like to be kept waiting long."

After a few blinks of his eyes, Amuro quickly snapped out of his trance and hesitantly nodded toward the other _Gundam_ pilot. "Ah...yeah. Sure." he said, before stepping around her, Hayato and the rest, all of whom still taken back by what they had witnessed, to make his way toward the entryway.

* * *

Yet again Bright felt the ship rumble from underneath him, much to his growing annoyance. He didn't know whether it was due to Mirai running into an asteroid or due to said asteroid running into the ship itself, but each time it occurred, it was all enough to jolt him with the rest of the _Royal_. And following that, Bright could not keep himself from holding his breath as he waited for the damage report to come calling in the intercom. Fortunately this had only occurred twice over the trip, and the damage had been light each time, but it didn't stop him from dreading the worst.

_This was certainly _not_ one of my best strategies. _he thought as he silently waited for the call to come in. Thankfully it didn't, and so Bright could continue reading Sleggar's mission log on his terminal. At least until he heard the door beep, signaling that the one he had been waiting on had finally arrived. "Enter."

At that, the door slid open and the man he knew as the test pilot for _Gundam Unit Alpha_, entered the room and stood at attention before the desk. "Lieutenant Amuro Ray reporting as ordered, sir."

Bright looked up and immediately studied the young pilot for a moment and comparing it to the image he saw back at Shangri-La. Indeed Lieutenant Amuro looked every bit a youth, such that even the dark grey Star Force uniform he wore did nothing to give him the aura of a soldier, much less an officer. If anything, Bright would have guessed Amuro were a college student, or even a civilian engineer, long before he would have thought of him as a pilot. And he definitely would never had believed he was the test pilot of an advanced next generation prototype, with or without his blood relation to Thomas Ray.

_This is the boy who gave the Zeon such a hard time? _Bright wondered to himself as he continued to look the junior Lieutenant over. If nothing else, there was that accomplishment to speak of the boy's qualifications as a pilot.

For his part, this was the first time Amuro had seen the _Ark Royal_'s captain at all, and so was quite surprised at the encounter. In his opinion, Bright Noa seemed far too young to be the captain of a warship; a bridge officer, maybe an XO even, but not a captain. Sure, he dressed like a captain, wearing the traditional greatcoat that bore double stripes and triple diamonds on its blue epaulets proudly, as well as retaining the equally traditional peaked cap over his head. And beside those, he certainly held the commanding presence necessary for a leadership position, which Amuro could have detected even _without _his powers. But despite all that, there was just something about the opposite man's form that made Amuro think he was promoted five or ten years earlier than he should have been.

_This is the guy they sent to retrieve the _Gundams_? _Amuro thought as he looked directly into the Captain's eyes without flinching. If nothing else, Amuro did give Bright that much; the young Captain managed to get his ship and its contents well away from Shangri-La and the Zeon, at least so far.

For a moment in time, it seemed both ship captain and mobile suit pilot would only continue to stare at each other, at least until the other submitted to the superior will. And then all of a sudden, Bright began to speak. "I've read your record Lieutenant." he stated, gesturing toward the datapad again. "And I must say it's quite...colorful. I've never seen so many reprimands and reports of insubordination and unbecoming conduct in one place before."

Amuro only remained silent. Bright nodded to himself; he passed the first test. "I can only imagine why you haven't been drilled out of the service, whether it's because you're Thomas Ray's son or because you're of some actual value to Project V. Either way, I don't care."

It was at that point Bright stood up, revealing that he was slightly taller than the _Gundam_ pilot. "What I do care about is you're on my ship now, so I'm going to be _very _clear: as long as you're here, you will act in a manner befitting of a Star Force officer. You will follow any orders I or my command staff will give to you, you will carry yourself with restraint in all interactions with my crew, and you will make every effort to avoid personal conflicts and outbursts."

The intensity of Bright's gaze only raised at the indirect challenge he gave to the young Lieutenant, but again Amuro remained silent and straightforward. "As long as you're aboard the _Ark Royal_, these conditions will be observed to the letter; if you do not agree, then you have the option of getting off my ship and taking your chances in the void. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir." Amuro replied automatically.

Bright nodded, satisfied. "Good. At ease then." he then stood up, datapad in hand. "I've also read Commander Sleggar's report of the latest mission. It's an impressive read in itself; you're probably the first Star Force pilot to go up against the Red Comet and come back in one piece, if not alive altogether."

"Only because Char didn't finish me." Amuro replied dryly.

"Perhaps, but the fact is you're still alive and, regardless of your status as a test pilot, you have some skill to compliment the _Gundam_'s capabilities." Bright summarized, before taking a breath. "For that reason, you are hereby assigned to this ship's Carrier Assault Group, under Commander Sleggar's direct command."

Amuro practically double-taked at that order. "Excuse me, sir?"

"You heard right Lieutenant. I am putting you on active combat duty, at least until we reach Earth." Bright replied. "As well, I'm assigning you to instruct Commander Sleggar and Lieutenant Sayla in piloting _Unit Beta_ and _Unit Gamma_."

"But sir..." Amuro stammered, but managed to keep his voice even. Bright had to give him some credit there, as he was already observing the 'no outburst' rule. "I'm a test pilot! I fight mock battles against drones, not actual battles against _Zakus_! Up until a few hours ago, I never had any real combat experience."

"That doesn't matter. Right now I need every advantage I can get; it's a long way from here to Earth, and the Zeon will not give up their pursuit so easily." Bright explained with hard, realistic grimness filling his tone of voice. "Especially since we just beat back one of their best aces."

Amuro grit his teeth, but again he kept his tone of voice in check. "Was this Commander Sleggar's suggestion, sir?"

"That _also _doesn't matter." Bright answered sharply. "Once more, as long as you're on this ship you will follow my orders to the letter, no matter what personal issues you may take with them." his eyes quickly bore their way back into the junior officer's. "Feel free to hate me for it, but that's how it will be for now on."

For the first time, Amuro's eyes leered. "Exactly how long until we reach Earth?"

That one actually made Bright laugh a little on the inside; contrary to popular belief, he _did _have a sense of humor. Outwardly however, he remained impassive. "To be bluntly honest Lieutenant, I could not tell you. It could be anywhere from weeks to months, perhaps even a year, depending upon how many course corrections and stops we will inevitably end up making. And that's not including encounters with the enemy."

Again he posed another indirect challenge. "Either way you look at it Lieutenant, you're stuck with us for a while, unless command were to transfer you to another ship."

To put it lightly, Amuro would have given anything to lay this ship captain out on the deck; Bright Noa was an even bigger jerk than his last commander. Even so, he again restrained himself. "I understand, sir."

At that, Bright nodded. Amuro Ray might not have been the recruiting poster type, but at least he wasn't entirely insubordinate. Not that it really mattered to Bright, since he would be Sleggar's responsibility for now on. "Very well. Dismissed."

With that Amuro made one last salute, which Bright responded to with his own, and promptly got the hell out of there.

* * *

_"Pity the tragic pitiful, and all they left behind. Nothing is left from what we find. Have we gone too far? In the middle of nowhere... Fire in the sky... Fade into darkness... All you want is to be free...!"_ Sleggar sang absently as he waited, leaning up against the sidewall of the deck. The meeting was taking longer than he thought, much to his dismay, so it was all he could do to pass the time. At least, _without _having to walk back to his quarters and retrieve his music player.

Fortunately he did not need to wait much longer. Soon enough, the doors to Bright's office opened and Amuro made his way out, rather hurriedly as well. He took a few more steps before noticing Sleggar leaning against the wall, clearly waiting for him. "Is there something you need, Commander?" Amuro spoke with certain agitation.

Sleggar only took it in his usual manner: with a smirk. "That's a rather terse way to address your new commanding officer. We'll have to work on that."

That only served to irritate Amuro even more. "I don't have time for this." he said as he moved to walk past. However, he was quickly stopped when Sleggar reached out and kept him from going.

"For what it's worth Lieutenant, I sympathize with you." Sleggar continued. "Until today, there wasn't any need for you to fight; you did your part for the Federation simply by testing out those machines, so that people like me could use them in the future. I respect that, just as I understand your hesitance to fight, as we all have that."

Sleggar cast a knowing glance as Amuro turned to face him. "Even so, there are times in life where we all have to step up for the cause. It just so happens today was your turn."

"Easy for you to say. You've been doing this a lot longer than I have." Amuro replied flatly, though he didn't step further. "I _never _wanted any part of this war; as far as I care, the problems the Federation has with Zeon aren't mine."

"I bet they weren't that girl's either; you know, the one you had Sayla bring aboard." Sleggar pointed out, causing Amuro's expression to falter. The Commander saw that as progress. "That's the funny thing about war; it's started by politicians and fought by soldiers, yet it always sucks in those who were not originally involved."

Amuro had to think hard to come up with a response. "I already killed the bastard that did that to Fraw's parents. I even made sure he died screaming." he said, remembering that particular Zeek's end with certain relish. "And from there I fought Char and nearly died from it." he said looking Sleggar square in the eye. "Wasn't that enough?"

Sleggar shook his head. "Not by a long shot Lieutenant." he said knowingly. "It's one thing to fight the Zeeks and survive, and another to fight and dominate. You did the latter against several of them, including one of their top aces; that makes you an invaluable asset to the Federation, and a grave threat to the Empire."

The force between his own gaze increased greatly. "So whether you like it or not, _you're completely involved now_."

The Lieutenant could only step back a bit in response, finding no words to say to that at first. He then looked away, now finding himself unable to meet Commander's sight and in near despair. "I'm not a warrior...!" he muttered, looking down as he felt overwhelmed again. "This wasn't...!"

Sleggar reached up and placed an arm on his shoulder, fully understanding. "I think we can both agree that, if there's one constant habit God possesses, it's that He _always _send us places we never wanted to go."

Suddenly, Amuro felt another set of peculiar images flash into his mind. The first was that of a smiling young man dressed in a green jumpsuit and holding a black and blue enflamed helmet of some sort, standing in front of a strange folded winged fighter craft. Following this was an image of a massive dogfight, involving several straight winged fighters, all bearing a striped star roundel, going against several larger swept wing fighters, all bearing red star roundels. From there, an landing accident involving a fighter crashing upon a flight deck followed; this led to the pilot being placed on life support in an archaic hospital room while doctors consulted, claiming that he would not live in passing whispers. Then it shifted to the image of the still heavily wounded pilot, now placed into a chemical tank of some kind and wired throughout, being lowered into a storage chamber (for lack of better description), disappearing into obscurity. Amuro himself was just able to depict the words "UNITED STATES NAVY" written on the side of the tank.

Almost instantly, Amuro looked up with wide eyes and shock, while Sleggar just looked on, now having adopted a far more serious expression. His smirk returned after the moment passed however, and he soon withdrew his arm. "Well, now that everything is established..." he began. "I suggest you get some rest, as you're going to need it. At 0800 tomorrow, we're going to do some sims with the _Gundams_."

Amuro nearly blanched. "But you said..."

"I said a sympathized with you. I _didn't_ say I was going to let you off the hook." Sleggar stated. "Like it or not, you have _officially_ become my personal bitch. Don't think I'm not going to make the most of it."

The Lieutenant opened his mouth to protest again, but Sleggar stopped him. "And on that note, through a strange twist of fate, there just happens to be an opening in my unit at this time. One that you and _Unit Alpha _will fit nicely into; despite your amateur status, you possess great talent in killing Zeeks, and I pride myself in having an eye for that kind of talent." again he smiled, this time dominantly. "So congratulations Lieutenant Amuro. As of now you're a member of Shrike Squadron."

The look Amuro quickly adapted spoke volumes of appreciation. "One of these days..."

"Yes yes, perhaps. In the meantime though, we've got serious work to do, between your instructing Sayla and I on the _Gundams _and my getting you broken into the squad." Sleggar stated, before turning around. "So again, better rest up Lieutenant, because you're going busy as hell tomorrow."

The Commander then trotted away, again singing the lyrics to Richie Kotzen's "Soldiers of Sorrow" to himself. As well as completely ignoring the growing rage that was emanating behind him.

* * *

**Bismarck Palace**  
**Zeon, Zeon System, Outer Rim**  
**June 30, GC 379**

Set at the farthest reaches of the galaxy, the planet Zeon was a gleaming emerald cast against the darkness of space. The second planet among a system of four, and initially the only one that could hold human life, it was distinguished by its great size, approximately three times the size of Earth, and its unique green tinted atmosphere that glowed eerily when cast against the light of the local sun, also named Zeon, as if the planet had a surreal and supernatural force to it. To many, it was perhaps the most alien world in the galaxy.

At one time, Zeon had been a hostile and highly volatile world, barely capable of supporting any life whatsoever, let alone humanity. But that time was long past and the planet had since been properly terraformed, a feat that the inhabitants took great pride; not only was today's Zeon fully capable of supporting life, but it had long since become a great paradise, noteworthy of its abundant mountains and lakes. It was, to say the least, a symbolic triumph of the original settlers, who had even gone as far as to genetically engineer their children, so that they were able to thrive in this once desolate world; combined with other sets of mutations generated from the surrounding environment, these acts would eventually mold the Zeon race into the superhumans they were renowned as today, biological greatness given form. For those reasons among others, Zeon was the capital world of one of the most powerful empires ever conceived.

Thus, it was from here, the ultimate seat of power, that _he _would address his people.

Standing before his subjects, Gihren von Zabi, formally known as Emperor Gihren, truly appeared to be a god among men. Before him, millions of Zeon were looking upon him with admiration and hope, alongside undying loyalty to their Emperor and belief that they would see him through these troubled times. Beyond them, the _Zakus_ that stood around the crowds, mono-eyes focused squarely on the stage and podium, seemed to gaze upon their liege with subservience, as if reflecting the feelings held by their pilots from within. And even further, past what Gihren's eyes could see, there was the rest of Zeon's population throughout the stretches of the Empire, alongside the great fleets and armies of Zeon's vaunted Imperial Guard, all holding their attention toward the telescreens, all awaiting the words of their great leader.

Outwardly, Gihren was impassive, as if to feign humility before his subjects. Inwardly however, he gleamed over what he saw; infinite subjects looking upon him for guidance and protection, unquestioning and unswerving in their collective gaze. All symbolizing that Zeon well and truly belonged to him now; not the Daikuns, not his inept, uninspiring and quite dead father, but _him_. And indeed, he would be the one to shape their destiny and raise them to greatness, above even the stars themselves. He would be the one who, by blood and by iron, would have them rule over the cosmos as was their birthright; the same birthright that the Daikuns never recognized and went out of their way to deny them.

Fortunately Gihren saw what that line had refused, understood what they had not. He knew that Zeon was destined to encompass all the galaxy, and that her people, once reviled and hated by all of humanity for their superiorities, would take their rightful place at the forefront of human evolution, the very Master Race that had been spoken of in the past. All he need do was guide them along with a steady hand, which was exactly what he was doing now, as well as what he was about to reassure those before him over.

As the roaring cheers slowly died down, Gihren minutely smiled as he stepped squarely before the podium, dramatically swaying the cape of his crisp black and gold uniform. He then began to speak, his deep, rich baritone voice echoing throughout the cosmos. As if God Himself were speaking to all of Creation. "_My people..."_ he began, his voice low but slowly rising. _"Sons and Daughters of Zeon...!"_

Already Gihren saw that his audience was captivated. As he expected. _"For many ages, we have been a race denied our greater destiny. When our ancestors chose to augment their children in the hopes of building a proud civilization, they became scorned and hated throughout the rest of humanity. When their children sought to gain a place within the Earth Federation, for which they contributed much of our Fatherworld's resources and population to its service, they became feared and persecuted for their gifts by those they called brethren. And when the next generation chose to secede from their self-appointed masters in the hope of building their own nation, those same degenerates threatened war and conquest, to strip the very last ounce of dignity from our ancestors and our world. And though war had been averted at that time, those sentiments among the lowborn of the galaxy had remained, alongside their natural envy to we, the superior highborn."_

At that point, Gihren allowed a grin to flourish from his lips. _"But now, now everything has changed. At long last the lowborn have gained the battle with Zeon they had long sought; at long last the "normals" have been given the opportunity to deny us our pride and our glory. At long last the inferiors had gained their war against their superiors..."_ his grin increased. _"...only to realize the grave error of their desires, as they suffer our wrath."_

With a broad gesture, he drew his arms outward. _"To this day, two years since the beginning of the war, Zeon continues its march to the very heart of the galaxy! Every hour our great fleets destroy countless numbers of warships and mobile suits. Every day our armies free hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of planets from tyranny. And with each step of the way, humanity becomes more and more purified of the lowborn corruption, setting it upon the path to Ascension as prophesied by the great Emperor Markus himself. Ascension, from hatred, fear and misery, the very vices mankind has suffered throughout ages. Ascension into true peace and prosperity, the very blessings mankind has sought throughout time."_

Then, with perfect timing, Gihren lowered his head and grasped the sides of the podium, feigning exhaustion. _"But hold no illusions, my people. Our great task remains ahead of us; until our enemies are completely defeated, until the Zeon Cross shines over the entire galaxy, our war will continue onward. I know many of you are weary of this, to which I understand; Zeon is not a nation built upon war. For over three hundred years we had maintained peace, content to build our civilization in the far reaches of the universe and to leave the lowborn to their own worlds and endeavors. If not for the death of Emperor Dietrich at the hands of a lowborn assassin, that peace would surely have lived to this day, preventing the galaxy much destruction and bloodshed."_

And from there, he rose again to his full height. _"Unfortunately, such peace was not to be, and so we are left but with one choice: to fight on until victory is obtained! Thus, I call upon you, my brothers and sisters, to maintain your stand; do not falter, do not compromise, instead focus your strength at those who have wronged us for generations! Bring about your anger and your sorrow, hone and wield them as you would a sword, and force our enemies to submit before you! And continue onward until our banner waves upon the very center of the galaxy, ensuring that all of the universe belongs to Zeon!"_

As one great voice, the people roared before him, showing that their Emperor's words had indeed reached their ears and punctuated their minds. Again Gihren smiled. _"And above all else, let your voices cry out, until the stars echo with our might!"_ and so he raised his fist into the air and finally called out. _**"SIEG ZEON!"**_

_**"SIEG ZEON! SIEG ZEON! SIEG ZEON! SIEG ZEON!"**_ the crowd cried out the ancient rally call, first uttered upon the Empire's very formation, with their own fists raised into the air and their own hearts filled with fervor. Gihren could only smile triumphantly at this; truly _this _was the closest any man could come to Godhood.

Yet in spite of his outward attention, he did not fail to detect the violet haired woman in the white gown, standing several meters behind him in the darkened corridor he had entered from. And though his face was turned away, he also did not fail in detecting how his sister, Princess Miharu von Zabi, was showing grave concern.

* * *

**Federation _Midway_-class fleetcarrier _Ark Royal__  
_Jericho System, Outer Rim  
June 30, GC 379**

All at once, the tunnel of flashing light ended with the _Ark Royal_ reverting back to sub-warp speed. With certain grace that seemed uncharacteristic for such a large craft, the grey hulled fleetcarrier cruised through space, straight toward the brown and blue world ahead of it, which shone brightly against the light of the local sun. Those who looked out through the _Ark_'s bridge or any of the nearby portholes took that light as a sign of welcome.

"Jericho Control, this is_ Ark Royal_, ready for docking maneuvers." Kikka spoke over the local channel, looking out at the bright colored world with a smile. It had been a long twelve day journey from Shangri-La, one initially hampered by Char's attack, but now she could breathe a sigh of relief as Jericho II laid in front of her.

"_Ark Royal _is cleared to dock." the female controller on the other end replied. "Activating guidance beacon to Central Harbor."

"Lock on." Mirai commanded to the helm, where a fully recovered Katz worked the controls.

After a few button pushes, Katz nodded that they were ready. "Systems locked. Switching to autopilot...now."

From his position, Bright could only watch as data poured into the _Ark_'s guidance system, steering her to the planet with utmost precision. Nodding with satisfaction, he looked back at the front screen, where the planet continued to grow closer and closer. "Jericho you have control."

"Affirmative _Ark Royal_. Enjoy the ride, and welcome to Jericho II." the controller replied from the other end, sounding as though a smile had touched her own face at seeing the carrier's approach.

At that, Bright leaned back and relaxed, as he and his bridge crew had no more to do now. "_Ark Royal _confirms."

Slowly, the _Ark Royal_ continued its approach toward the planet, coming close enough for the bridge crew to depict mountains, seas and cities lining its surface. Alongside these and civilian traffic, several more Star Force vessels, identifiable by their telltale dark grey and navy blue hulls, could be depicted coming and going around the planet, ranging from _Eurymedon_-class cruisers to one or two larger _Actium_-class battlecruisers. The crew watched in awe as three such warships, a single _Actium_ and two _Eurymedons_, ascended past the planet's atmosphere and moved into space, passing by the _Royal_ before jumping to warp speed; obviously a long-range patrol. And as if to compliment these ships, several _Guncannon_ teams, also painted in the Federation standard grey and navy, flitted to and fro around the planet and the surrounding space, performing more intermediate patrols. One team even flew up alongside the _Royal _as she passed, from which the lead suit waved toward her bridge, and then sped off to parts unknown.

Continuing on at a stable speed, the fleetcarrier soon passed into Jericho II's atmosphere, beginning the reentry process. Bright recalled there being a time, in which man journeyed into space in craft little bigger than a modern day worker pod, where reentry was considered a perilous act and a necessary evil; where astronauts had to make the most precise calculations, as well as the loudest possible prayers to God, in order to make it through Earth's atmosphere and perform a safe landing. In the Galactic Century however, reentry was more like an everyday thing that anyone hardly thought over, as modern day humans had long grown used to the process of bringing one's starship down onto a planet; hell, it was safe enough that aboard a large enough ship, one could move around unrestrained while reentry was underway and not worry over any potential harm. It also helped that the _Royal_'s gravity plating was set to automatically adjust in the wake of reentry, as well as to deactivate when the ship fully entered the planet's own gravitational zone.

A few moments later, the flames and the vibrations died away, allowing the crew to gaze out and behold the surrounding blue skies, along with the spanning surface below. Stretched across the otherwise rocky and mountainous landscape, Jericho II's capital city of New Torrington was nothing less than a true metropolis of tall buildings and modern day advancement, the only city of its kind on the entire planet and perhaps the entire sector. And right next to it was the aptly named Central Starport, which had long since been converted from civilian to military usage and would now serve as the _Royal_'s harbor for her stay.

As Central came more into view, Mirai thought she saw something peculiar. "Magnify." she ordered, causing the forward display to just that over the base, displaying lines of Star Force warships laid out in the various ports. The XO raised an eyebrow. "That's a large garrison for a world like this."

Bright only shrugged. "Jericho II is the only major hub in this sector, so a defense force that size would make sense."

"Either that or they're just stopping here before the big fight somewhere else." Ryu piped in from his chair. Both Mirai and Bright wondered about that.

Soon enough, as the _Royal_ drew into its selected bay, reducing its descent to a crawl before nestling in. Landing struts from the ship and moorings from the bay extended to keep the ship balanced on the ground, and after a slight rock later, the _Royal _completed its docking. The ship was now officially at port.

After the final checks were complete, Bright activated the intercom from his chair arm console. "This is the Captain. We have docked. Aside from those on duty, all aboard may disembark at their leisure. Over."

Deactivating the intercom, he noticed the collective glance from his bridge crew, to which he nodded to their unspoken question. Thus, with their captain's permission, they quickly set about shutting down their stations, already looking forward to their shore leave.

However, before Kikka could disengage hers, she tapped at her headset. "Captain, there's a message coming in, marked Priority One." she reported, before turning to face Bright, who was just about to leave himself. "It's meant for you."

Bright ignored the growing discomfort as he retook his seat and engaged the holodisplay.

* * *

"I don't like it." Amuro stated as he looked up toward the three _Gundams_, glowering a strange mixture of disgust and annoyance.

"Really? I think _Unit Alpha _looks pretty good." Sleggar replied with a shrug. "But if you don't like it, you can have Astonaige put another..."

"No, I mean I don't like the _whole idea_, 'sir'." Amuro responded sharply, turning to look over at his new CO, twelve days in the making. "Look, I know you and Lieutenant Sayla have been 'officially' assigned _Unit Beta_ and _Unit Gamma_ for the time being, and I get that you two are aces..." he waved a hand up at the dormant mobile suits. "But this is taking it _too far_!"

What Amuro was gesturing at was obvious enough, even to those in the hangar who were unable to hear the young junior Lieutenant's outbursts: the three _Gundams_ were now painted in their own individualized and _very_ non-regulation colors. _Unit Alpha_ was now colored pure white with red highlights, _Unit Beta_ was painted dark blue with gold and red highlights of its own, and _Unit Gamma_ was painted in crimson with black highlights. Compared to their earlier standardized grey schemes, the _Gundams _were far more striking as well as visually distinguishable from each other; obviously they were mobile suits piloted by aces, or at least two of them were.

Beside the change in colors, each unit also held the personal insignia of its pilot on their left shoulders, with _Beta_ displaying Sleggar's blue enflamed phoenix, downward pointed sword clasped in its talons as always, and _Gamma _holding Sayla's black helmed woman over a grey shield. For _Unit Alpha_, as Amuro hadn't possessed a personal sigil of his own, Sleggar had decided to make one for him: a red tinted 'A' with a highly angular and pointed shape, the two "lines" that formed either end crossing on the right and forming the complete "letter" toward the left. The Commander had claimed that it was meant to reference to Amuro's 'unique' first name and not his _Gundam_'s designation, and that while it was somewhat 'plain' for his personal tastes, it otherwise worked. Even so, he still gave Amuro the option of altering it if he wished, just like the color scheme.

The changes were made no sooner than when High Command had "officially" assigned _Unit Beta_ and _Unit Gamma_ to the two Shrike pilots over a direct line of communications with Earth; in fact, they were the first orders out of Sleggar's mouth as soon as the transmission ended. To Amuro, it was no different than, if he remembered the term right, "highway robbery", more so due to the fact his _Gundam _had not been spared. Naturally, the younger and lower ranked pilot was very put off. "These are not model kits, Commander! You can't just change their colors around like that!"

"Are you telling me what I can and cannot do again, Lieutenant?" Sleggar stated, casting the 'evilest eye' on Amuro in the process.

Amuro noticed and quickly straightened his collar. "No sir. I just wanted to, ah, remind you that these are military machines, and that while the Zeon love their suits in outlandish color schemes, it's entirely inappropriate for Star Force units..." he then added with hesitance. "...even if High Command allows it."

"I see." Sleggar lightened up, deciding to play along. "In that case Lieutenant allow me to explain: as strange as it may be to splatter bright colors on a military machine, there's a certain psychology to it."

Before Amuro could reply with a snappier comeback, Sleggar pressed on. "In the ancient world, warriors would often paint their armor, their uniforms or even their very bodies in vibrant color, as well as adorn them with different types of markings and insignia. In practice, this left them with little camouflage and made them easy to distinguish, but in return it gave them a far greater advantage: their colors acted as a visual warning to their enemies, proclaiming their status as elites and that they were not to be contended."

Again Amuro opened his mouth to reply, but Sleggar didn't allow him. "Over time, that practice died out and gave way to an emphasis on concealment, but here in the Galactic Century, with the battlefield not being limited to a terrestrial setting, such practices are no longer necessary. The Zeon were the first to understand this, and so allowed their aces to paint their _Zakus _in custom colors; a doctrine that has been so successful, that the Federation is now emulating it."

"But it will make me easier to identify." Amuro finally got a word in.

Sleggar only shook his head. "You pilot a one of a kind prototype, bagged ten _Zakus_ in your first real battle, and you went head to head with the Red Comet and lived. Like it or not, you're an ace yourself now, and the Zeeks _will _recognize you regardless of your disposition, so you might as well live it up."

He then gestured back at _Unit Alpha_. "Besides, you have to understand the effect you will have in battle with this. If the Zeeks pick you out of the fold, one of two things will happen: the first is they will engage you, thereby taking some of the pressure off the 'regular' _Guncannon _pilots, or they will evade you, thereby allowing you to pass and perform your mission with less hindrance. Either way, you make it easier for our side to win."

Amuro could only frown at this, finding no way to argue back. "Okay, fine, I get it." he then thought for a minute. "But of all the colors you could have picked for _Unit Alpha_, why white?"

Sleggar looked back up at the _Gundam_ and shrugged again. "I thought the _Gundam _would look good in white."

"It looks _horrible_!" Amuro nearly bellowed.

"I disagree, but it's your suit and I did give you permission to change the color, so long as it's _tasteful_." he then smirked as Amuro opened his mouth again to respond. "And no, you can't change it back to grey, as that would be _tasteless_." Sleggar stated with finality, causing the disgust on his subordinate's face to double in intensity. He simply smirked back.

The Commander then looked over at _Unit Beta_ and _Unit Gamma_. "Besides, red, white and blue have always been a set. Haven't you ever seen _Macross_?"

Amuro just looked even more confused. "What's a 'May Cross'?

Sleggar sighed. He was seriously getting tired of that. "_Literally _before your time, Lieutenant."

Again Amuro recalled that image of the child and the tank from twelve days ago. He said nothing more, at least until a new voice entered in. "Is Amuro giving you a hard time again Commander?"

Both turned to see Fraw Bow walk up to them, moving past the few remaining technicians and mechanics as she did so. Even after twelve days, Amuro still had trouble recognizing her, as she was now wearing a grey Star Force uniform herself, complete with her blue epaulet tabs displaying the single stripe and double diamonds of a Lieutenant Junior Grade.

"Of course not Doctor Bow. He's been on his best behavior since I came down here." Sleggar replied to the _Ark Royal_'s new Chief Medical Officer, who had taken the post four days ago after glowing recommendations from the surviving medical staff. Even Bright, after seeing her work, could not deny that she knew her trade.

Fraw laughed. "I've known Amuro for a while now and I've _never _seen him on his best behavior." she ignored the glare Amuro cast to her in turn. "And you can call me Fraw. I don't like being too formal."

"Alright Fraw. And don't worry, it's nothing serious." Sleggar replied, gesturing back up at the _Gundams_. "The Lieutenant and I just disagree on _Unit Alpha_'s new coat."

Fraw looked up at the white _Gundam _and shrugged. "I think it looks good in white."

"See?" Sleggar shot back to his subordinate. Amuro just barely resisted the urge to make a certain time honored gesture in response.

Fraw then looked over toward _Unit Beta_, reflecting upon the insignia on the left shoulder and remembering what it referenced. "If I may ask Commander..." she began. "How did you become the Phoenix of Arcturus?" Amuro looked up as well, showing his own curiosity.

Sleggar smiled a little. "During the Battle of Arcturus, the Zeeks confirmed me KIA at least three times. When I disproved them for the third time, some random _Zaku _pilot compared me to a phoenix because I kept 'rising back up, never staying dead'. The name stuck afterward."

"That sounds more like a product of luck than skill." Amuro replied.

The Commander thought about that. "Probably was, but it's still a kickass nickname, and it's always fun to hear the Zeeks call it out in sheer terror." he then looked toward _Unit Gamma_. "But if you want _real_ skill, then Sayla's one you want to hear about. She's a _whole _different story compared to me."

"Was she at Arcturus too?" Fraw inquired.

"No, Arcturus happened before her commission. She was, however, at Riah, and that's also where she made a name for herself." Sleggar replied. "In fact, it was her first deployment."

"Riah?" Amuro's eyes widened a fraction at the name. "Her first battle was Riah? And she _survived_?"

Sleggar glinted back at Amuro with utmost seriousness. "Not only survived, but also made ace in..." he said. "...by shooting down _twenty-four Zakus _singlehandedly."

Now Amuro was really taken back. _"Two squadrons!?"_ he stammered. "How is that even possible!?"

Fraw looked at Amuro with confusion. "Why is that a big deal? You shot down ten in _your_ first battle."

"I was in _Unit Alpha_ though, whereas she would have been in a _Guncannon_." Amuro looked as incredulous as could be. "I've heard of _Guncannon_ pilots that have shot down as many as six, maybe nine _Zakus_..."

_I've shot down _way_ more than that. _Sleggar thought, but didn't say.

"...but _never _two squadrons worth, especially in one fight." Amuro stated with emphasis, before taking a moment to catch his breath. "And it happened at Riah of all places too! That was one of the worst battles of the war; our side won and liberated the system, but still took massive losses over it. Very few survived on either end."

Fraw turned to Sleggar, who just nodded. "It's exactly as he says: Riah was one of the worst battles thus far and very few survived it. Of the _Ark_'s entire contingent at that time, only Shrike Squadron remained afterward, and even we lost four. So you can imagine how big and bloody of a fight it was."

That caused Fraw to pause in thought for a moment, considering the insignia on _Unit Gamma_'s shoulder. "Did the Zeon give her a nickname as well?"

"That they did, especially when they found out she was a woman." Sleggar confirmed. "They call her the Valkyrie of Riah."

Even Amuro knew the significance of that; Valkyries were the death dealers in ancient Norse mythology, which the Zeon, following their ties to the Germanic civilizations of Old Earth, favored almost obsessively. Such a nickname meant Sayla had earned both their adversarial respect as well as their fear, and recalling that scene in the mess hall days ago, Amuro himself felt both were warranted. _Just _who_ is she?_

"There you are!" the voice of Mirai hollered as its owner came stepping up, past the few techs and mechanics in the hangar, to the trio. Her gazed was centered on Sleggar and, as usual, it was not a warm one.

Sleggar inwardly groaned, but kept his aloof expression. "I don't suppose you're here to reestablish our engagement." He took some minor delight in the shocked expressions on Fraw and Amuro at that statement.

"Hardly." Mirai said, leer increasing. "Captain Bright's been summoned by the brass here, and he wants us along for support."

Sleggar arched an eyebrow. "What's so bad about some REMF garrison commander?" he then gestured toward his two younger subordinates again, knowing what they were going to ask. "I'll explain later."

Mirai however knew what that acronym meant. "Because this 'REMF' just happens to be named Wakkein."

The _Ark Royal_'s CAG suddenly became a lot more serious. "As in Admiral Wakkein Grissom, commander of the Second Fleet?" he spoke, clearly taken back. "What the hell's he doing here?"

"I don't know, except that he wants to see the captain and he's brought a large detachment of the Second with him." Mirai said, worry creeping into her voice. "I have my theories for the latter, but for the moment I'm more concerned about the former." her eyes suddenly bespoke of certain warning. "I'm sure I don't have to explain why."

Sleggar nodded grimly. "Yeah, I got you. Alright, I'll follow you." he then nodded back to Amuro and Fraw. "You two better get some R&R as well, because things may get dicey again soon." he said, before following his fellow Commander off the hangar deck.

Fraw took this advice to heart. "Let's go Amuro." she said, taking the _Gundam _pilot by the arm and leading him away as well.

Before he left, Amuro took one last glance at the three _Gundams_, specifically _Unit Gamma_. Though it didn't matter to him at the time, he couldn't help but inwardly remark that, with that shade of red, the _Gundam_ looked eerily similar to Char's _Zaku_.

* * *

Wide. The world before her was so _wide_. From the openness of the sky to the vastness of the surrounding landscape to the sheer abundance of energy, whether be it generated from plant, animal or human, that filled her senses; all far beyond the capacity of a mere space colony or similar construct. Awesome in its beauty, terrifying in its scope, seemingly infinite as the Void itself. Even the artificial, soulless constructs of Jericho II's largest metropolis, which in itself wasn't as large as most others she had visited, could not take away from the power that she was feeling now. Some would call it God, others would call it Nature. Sleggar, likely referring to some long forgotten "movie" from the AD era, had labeled it the Force.

For herself however, it was simply Life.

Walking along the streets of New Torrington, Sayla continued to look out and reach out to all that was around her, not unlike Alice stepping once more into Wonderland. Tomorrow marked the seventy-second anniversary of Jericho II's founding, and as such there was a large amount of activity in the city and around the entire planet, all in preparation for the festivities alongside usual daily life. Though the scope of the occasion was nothing compared to say, Christmas on Earth or Rose Monday on Zeon, the Jerichoans' anticipation of celebrating history and good times was still enough to bring out life in an otherwise meaningless world. Naturally, Sayla was living it up simply by observing all of it.

Even the vast number of aromas she picked up seemed to be filled with life as well, much to her inner delight. Where she came from, smell was a particularly integral part of society and culture, as the birthing practices of her race ensured each member held a highly enhanced olfactory sense. As such, Sayla was quite capable of detecting individualized scents, hundreds of them at a time even, things that the people around her could never dream of. This in turn gave her a unique perspective that few outsiders could understand. The primary scent that she was picking up now, even among the vast myriad generated by her environment, was perspiration; everyone was hard at work now so that they could party tomorrow, whether be it their normal jobs or the preparations. Penetrating past that wall, she detected an even larger line: heat, cooking food, brewing alcohol, assorted flowers and perfumes, as well as a fair amount of sugar and other "sweets" mixed with dairy and breading. All the traditional scents of a party in the making.

And in the midst of the jubilee in the making, Sayla couldn't help but feel saddened by her being there. Surely it wouldn't be long before the war reached this place as well; Jericho II might not have been the most strategically relevant world in the galaxy, but it was still a Federation world that held a sizeable Star Force garrison. In her experience, that was usually enough an excuse for the Empire to invade and subjugate; in fact, any world that held a sizeable lowborn population was enough to entice the fury of the highborn. That thought alone made her gut twist. _Just how much more can Zeon fall, before it drags all of Existence down with it?_

She shook her head at the thought; for the time being she wanted to be as far away from the war as possible. Fortunately, she soon found a revenue for it, as she came across a small coffee shop named "Ahab's". Deciding that she could use the refreshment, Sayla quickly entered.

As opposed to the larger franchise coffee establishments she had seen throughout the galaxy, this one was more or less a smaller, privately owned establishment, deliberately modeled after AD era Earth styling. Wood paneling, tanned walls green seats and paint, and an abundance of pictures depicting rainforests. _Sleggar would love this place_. she thought as she went up to the counter.

Immediately the shop owner, an old man with white hair and a goatee, took noticed of her. "What can I get you?"

"One Ammanan brew with cream." Sayla so ordered.

A few minutes later, the owner came back and presented her a cup, which Sayla took. "It's on the house." he said, much to Sayla's surprise. "Call it a military discount."

Sayla nodded graciously. "Thank you. It looks great." she said as she began drinking, relishing the blend.

"Think nothing of it, it's not every day I get someone like you around here." the shop owner replied as he began washing his hands. "Most of you Star Force types avoid places like this, like you'll get some kind of 'Outer Rim disease' or whatnot."

"That's a shame, because this is very good coffee." Sayla replied. "I don't usually get anything of this quality out here."

"Oh? Let me guess, you're an Inner Worlder? Earth perhaps?" the old man said, casting a corner glance at her.

Sayla laughed. "Not even close." she said as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Let's just say I don't come from a Federation world."

"And yet that ain't a Zeek uniform you're wearing." the old man replied. "How mysterious."

"So I've been told." Sayla replied, looking at her reflection in the coffee cup. "I have my reasons for joining Star Force, as well as fighting on the Federation's behalf."

"I would imagine." the old man said, as he leaned against the back wall and lit a metal pipe, taking a smoke. "Heh, feels just like yesterday when everyone was just talking about the possibility of war; Federation had its side of the line, Zeeks had theirs, and everyone was waiting to see who crossed it first. I myself had money on the Federation invading Zeon, with Jamitov being in office and all. You could imagine my surprise when the opening shots came in."

Sayla inwardly sighed. _So much for not thinking about the war. _"There has always been a desire on the part of Zeon to conquer the galaxy; even as far back as the Empire's formation, much of her subjects cried out for war against the Federation and all others. The Daikuns spent much of their time dousing out those fires while trying to maintain peace with the EF. Gihren simply reversed that policy, which is one of the reasons I'm in this uniform."

The shop owner let out a 'heh'. "That's all true. Zeeks never did like the notion of we 'lowborn' running things." he thought for a moment. "Not that we have much to defend ourselves with. 'Normal' humans have been gumming up the works since history was first recorded; hell, we changed the entire calendar around to get away from the bad ol' days of Anno Domini. And yet three hundred years into the future, we still keep making things worse."

Sayla looked back with peculiarity. "So you think things would be better under Zeon?"

That made the shop owner laugh. "Not a chance. To me, it doesn't matter how much stronger, faster and better in bed the Zeeks are compared to people like me; humans human. If that weren't the case, then we'd be hearing stories of Gihren walking on water or feeding the poor with just five loaves and two fish."

Needless to say, Sayla's stomach turned at that comparison. "I would appreciate it if you didn't compare Gihren to _that _particular man."

"Heh, sorry." the old shopkeeper sighed. "Still, it's an interesting paradox; no matter how 'superior' we humans can become over each other, the fact that we're all still human remains our greatest flaw. So long as that remains, we will always be stuck in this rut."

"Perhaps." Sayla replied. "All the same though, it's precisely because of that factor Zeon will lose this war."

The shopkeeper looked at her curiously. "You sure about that? Last I heard, they're winning by a large margin."

"All too sure." Sayla replied simply. "To me at least, the ability to acknowledge one's self as 'only human' isn't a flaw, but strength. It allows 'mere' mortals to acknowledge their mistakes and move passed them, improving themselves spiritually and physically, all without removing any notion that they may make more mistakes to better themselves from." she continued after taking another sip. "Only mortals are capable of such strength, while so-called Gods, in all of their 'perfection', continue to wallow in their arrogance, never learning until too late that they had been surpassed."

Her gaze quickly narrowed, recalling the image of her much hated enemy. "Since his claiming the throne, Gihren has come to see himself as a God, and all of Zeon has willingly followed him as his worshippers. He, and by extension the rest of the Empire, believes himself to be infallible, incapable of making even the smallest mistake. And yet because of that belief, he has made so many..." _Such as letting Casval and I slip through his fingers. _"...but has learned nothing from them."

She then took another sip of her coffee, this one a longer one. "Rest assured, it will be the mortals of the Federation, not the immortals of Zeon, that will in the end be triumphant. It is only a question is _when_ and _how_."

The shopkeeper considered that for a moment, before nodding. "Seems like you got it all figured out." he surmised, finding no room, nor wish, to argue. "More coffee?"

"Please." Sayla responded, before handing back the mug. The shopkeeper then went back and began making another batch, allowing Sayla a moment to herself. She quickly reflected on everything she had just said, before once more turning her special power toward the life forces outside and around the planet; all additional reasons why her proclamation would come true, _had_to come true.

_And if not by Thy will, nor the Federation's..._ she thought, while flexing her fingers. _...then by _mine_ shall it be done._

* * *

Regardless of his best efforts to do so, Bright could not keep the nervousness from welling up in his gut as he, Sleggar and Mirai all walked down the hallway of New Torrington Base's command center. By outward appearance, he certainly didn't look nervous; instead he looked every bit the officer and gentleman he was supposed to be. He walked in standard military stride, with his head up in the air and his shoulders relaxed. His uniform, while well worn, was all in regulation order, once more complete with commissar cap and greatcoat. And as if to indirectly support that image, both Mirai and Sleggar had also deigned to wear their own commissar caps, further presenting an air of professionalism among the trio.

And yet even so, Bright was still nervous as hell on the inside, feeling more like a condemned man making his way to the gallows than a Star Force Captain about to meet an Admiral. Not there was much difference between an Admiral and an executioner, he reflected.

Soon enough, the trio approached the outer office, where the Admiral's secretary, a young, bookish looking brunette, signaled them in immediately. Thus, with much reluctance, the three officers entered the sanctum as soon as the door slid open. Seconds later they approached the center desk, taking quick note of the figure standing behind it, who was turned away and looking out the large window that made up the entire back wall of the office. Knowing that the figure had detected their entrance, Bright and his compatriots snapped to attention.

"Captain Bright Noa reporting as ordered sir." he sounded off, doing well to keep his tone even but direct, as well as his eyes glued straight forward. "With me is my XO, Commander Mirai Yashima, and my ship's CAG, Commander Sleggar Law."

An uncomfortable few seconds past before the figure finally spoke up. "I recall only sending for you, Captain."

Bright just managed to force back the urge to gulp. "Forgive me Admiral, but I thought you would like to observe my senior staff as well." he replied. "I can dismiss them if you intended for a private meeting, sir."

For whatever it was worth, the figure visibly shrugged, not even bothering to consider the suggestion. "I suppose it doesn't matter. You would have had to fill them in after the meeting anyway. At ease." with that, the officer turned around to face the three.

Now in full view, Admiral Wakkein Grissom, commander of Star Force's Second Fleet, looked every bit the part of his rank; in fact, he was almost a prime stereotype of it. His uniform was more or less standard, but with rank tabs that displayed three stripes and three diamonds each, as well as a "fruit salad" of medals and ribbons across the left side. The head that came with that uniform was just as "upper brass" looking, specifically of the "cold and stern" variety; it held a notably thin structure with each of its individual parts being neither too large nor two small, while a crop of short cut blonde hair laid across the top of it, arrayed in a widow's peak. The Admiral's most discernible feature was his eyes, which possessed the hardness of a combat veteran mixed with the all too common dour and humorless nature seen on higher ranked commanders, whether they be Star Force or Imperial Guard.

And as those eyes remained firmly fixed on Bright, the captain could clearly seen disdain behind them, causing his gut to tighten. He knew the exact reason for that disdain, just as he knew exactly where this meeting was going to go. Sleggar and Mirai were also quick to take notice, though only Sleggar knew the things Bright did.

Waving his arm, Wakkein tapped a few switches on his desk, causing the holodisplay to activate and show a holographic map of the region around the Jericho System. "About five days ago, one of our listening posts in the Bacchus System picked up a transmission from the Zeon High Command." he said, eyes still dead set on Bright. "The transmission was a mobilization order for Zeek forces in the Masada Sector, in which they were to organize a taskforce and send them right here to Jericho. In turn, the taskforce is to be commanded by this man..."

A moment later, an image profile of a bald and goateed Zeon dressed in an Admiral's uniform. "Admiral Aiguille Delaz, commander of the Zeeks' Fourth Fleet as well as one of Gihren's personal lapdogs." he continued. "By our estimates, the taskforce is set to arrive here in approximately five days. For this reason, it has fallen to the Second Fleet to ensure this outpost remains in Federation hands."

"If I may ask Admiral..." Mirai spoke up. "Why are the Zeeks investing such a force, as well as their prominent commanders, in a side line base like this one? Surely there are more integral worlds to the Federation out there."

"Because Commander, despite your opinion, Jericho II _is _one of those integral worlds." Wakkein answered staunchly. "It may not look like much, but Jericho is the only large scale basin in this entire sector; if the Zeeks get their hands on it, they'll not only gain full control over the sector, but they'll also have a launching pad into neighboring ones. And if they take those over, they'll be on their way toward conquering the whole Outer Rim."

He then looked back toward the map. "And so, it is up to us to stop them before they gain that much ground."

Bright did not like the sound of that. "With all due respect, as well as gratitude for your sharing this sir, what does all have to do with _us_?" he asked, even though he knew his head had just inched even closer to the chopping blocking. "We're on direct orders to return to Earth as soon as possible, and are scheduled to depart in the next two days."

"I am very much aware of that Captain, which is why I'm giving you new orders." Wakkein replied. "As of now, you can consider yourselves reassigned to the Second Fleet and this world's garrison." he continued regardless of the near gapes. "Assuming you survive, you may continue on to Earth after the battle, win, lose or draw."

Almost stammering, Bright responded. "But sir, our orders came directly from Admiral Revil..."

Wakkein's gaze quickly intensified. "Admiral Revil is not here Captain. _I am_." he quickly placed both hands on his desk. "Don't think for a damned minute I'll let you repeat that stunt at Arcturus. This time, you _will_ follow orders, and you _will_ stand the line, or God and Heaven help me, the Zeeks will be the _least _of your problems."

Bright knew better than to argue with that. "Yes sir."

Seeing that answer, Wakkein quickly leaned back. "If I had it my way Captain, I would have stripped you of your command the moment you landed and given the _Ark Royal_ to someone who _doesn't_ run at the first sight of _Zakus_..."

The captain again did well not to argue, though it took every ounce of restraint to hold his tongue in check. Sleggar, on the other hand, looked ready to reach out and strike the Admiral so hard he'd go flying out that back window. _You sanctimonious bastard...!_

"..._Unfortunately_, I don't have any able bodied and able _backboned_ commanders on hand." the Admiral sighed, as if disappointed. "As such, I'll allow you to keep your ship, but don't get the wrong idea." again his eyes gazed directly into Bright's. "I don't care if you do have COMSTAFO backing you up, you're still a coward and a disgrace to me Noa. Paraphrasing a certain historical figure, I would rather have the Zeeks in front of me than people like _you_ behind me." he then backed off. "So rest assured, I _will_ be watching you every step of the way, and I _will_ kick your ass from here to the Galactic Center if you so much as _hint_ at going out of line_. _Is that understood?"

At that, Bright again let out an automatic response, managing to keep his feelings and a certain open wound in check. "Yes sir."

"Good. Operational briefing will be held tomorrow at 0800." Wakkein finished. "Now get out."

"Sir." Bright sounded off, then throwing in a salute, Sleggar and Mirai doing the same. Then all three turned away and exited just as promptly as they came in.

But not without Sleggar clasping his hands behind his back and extending his right hand middle finger just as he himself left. Wakkein noticed but ignored it; after all, the last thing he needed was to have one of the best pilots in his muster thrown in the stockade before the big battle, especially when said pilot's very name terrorized Zeon to no end. He still made a mental note to repay the infraction later on, however.

* * *

"So there I was..." Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Eledore Mauris, Shrike Eight, continued in dramatic fashion to the young and large busted brunette next to him, going along with the tunes of "Shine in the Storm" by Chihiro Yonekura, which was playing on the bar's sound system. "With two Zeek warships and god knows how many _Zakus _directly ahead, shooting at me and my squadmates. With nothing to lose, I ditched my cover and dove into the fight..."

"Only when the Commander ordered us to charge." Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Job John, Shrike Nine, spoke up from across the table. Already he was getting a migraine from his wingman's over the top narrative.

"And you were the last to ditch your asteroid." Ensign Kiki Rosita, Shrike Five, added from beside Job, looking just as bored and annoyed.

"And only because Lieutenant Karen threatened to shoot you herself if you didn't." Ensign Michel Ninorich, Shrike Six, also tagged on from beside Kiki, his head resting against hand as he awaited the next round of drinks.

"Hey, do I interrupt you guys when you're telling the stories!?" Eledore shouted back to his fellow pilots and comrades-in-arms, who simply looked away and tried their best to ignore him. That was good enough, so Eledore continued. "As I was saying, I ditched my cover and dove into the fight. Almost right off the bat three _Zakus _come at me..."

"You mean _one_." Job nonchalantly spoke up again. "The other two went after me and Lieutenant Karen respectively."

"Fine. _One_." Eledore replied tersely to Job's comment before turning back to his clearly captivated audience. "Anyway, the Zeek's coming right in, trying to get me at point blank with his axe; I just barely deflect the first blow with my shield and shot back with the vulcans..."

"Which missed, even at that range." Kiki pointed out.

"..._only _for the bastard to move to the right and go after my side. Fortunately I managed to swing my beam rifle around in time and fire..."

"...and miss _again_..." Job added.

"..._thereby_ causing the _Zaku _to fall back. As luck would have it, that put him right in the sights of my cannons, and with the first round I blew off its head..."

_"Right leg." _Michel corrected.

"...and with the second round I punched through the cockpit..." Eledore started to growl in growing annoyance.

"Because it banked into it." Job replied.

"...and one moment later, there was nothing left but atoms." Eledore finished with an air of pride in spite of his comrades' constant badgering. "I ended up bagging three more _Zakus _like that before the battle ended."

"Again, you mean _one _more." Job corrected again. "The Commander got the other two you're thinking of."

"Damn it, do you bastards ever shut up!?" Eledore bellowed in response.

Despite the constant criticism, the brunette was clearly starry eyed. "Wow, Lieutenant, that was awesome!" she replied, entirely enamored. "Not every day we get _real _aces in a place like this!"

Eledore smirked in turn. "Yeah, well, despite how I made it sound, it's not all fun and games kid." he said, wrapping his arm around the Ensign's chair. "There were times I thought I was going to buy the colony, so to speak..."

"Would this be one of them?" a voice spoke up from behind, potential violence in its tone. Eledore didn't need to see the combined looks of dread on the other patrons to know who was standing behind him; he already recognized the voice and its ire. Turning around, he saw a very put off redhead, Lieutenant markings on her shoulders and collar, looming over him with death and destruction in her eyes.

"Karen...!" Eledore stammered. "It's...It's not what you think...!" the response came in the superior officer taking Eledore's head and slamming it into the table. The young brunette, knowing what was about to happen, quickly slipped away from the table before she got caught in the epicenter.

"That's _Lieutenant _Karen to you, playboy!" Lieutenant Karen Joshua, Shrike Seven, growled with increasing vehemence. "Should have known I'd find you trying to get your hands on some skirt the moment we touched down!" she then quickly brought Eledore's now bruised head up and stormed away toward the bar counter.

"Wait, Karen! I wasn't doing anything!" Eledore called back as he got up and raced to the bar counter himself, leaving the other three Shrike pilots alone. At least until Sanders, who had come in with Karen, came over to them.

"And this, kiddies, is why relationships between Star Force personnel are technically forbidden." Sanders stated as he sat down. "Not that I'll ever figure out the attraction between those two."

"Well, this war has caused stranger things to happen." Job replied, just as the next set of drinks arrived for the remaining three. Sanders also signaled the waitress and ordered a Palau Boilermaker. After taking a drink, Job continued. "Besides, it's not like this sort of thing _doesn't _happen; I'd even wager half the fleet was shacking up, regulations be damned."

"Not me. I _already _have a girlfriend." Michel proclaimed proudly.

Kiki rolled her eyes. "Ah yes, BLT..."

"B.B.!"

"Whatever." Kiki replied dryly as she took a drink herself. "She's going to dump you in the end, so why bother?"

"No she won't!" Michel stammered, almost violently. "She said she'll wait for me to the end of the war!"

"Right, like that kind of promise has never been made before." Kiki said with a wave of her hand.

"At least it's better than having some high school crush!" Michel nearly hollered. "Especially one on a superior officer, who obviously has no interest!"

That pushed a button, as Kiki looked like she was about to pummel her wingman into the floor. However, before she could reach out with her arm, Job waved a hand. "Children, children, please. Not while I'm still sober and conscious."

Remembering that Job was senior to both of them, Michel and Kiki quickly backed down and chose to simply look away from the other. Sanders himself supposed it was natural; alongside Hayato and Kai, the two next to him were among the latest round of "newbies" to grace Shrike Squadron, taken fresh from the Academy no more than several months ago. Obviously they had a lot of growing up to do, even if they had seen their fair share of battles up to this point. At the very least they were all talented pilots, such that they had all made ace status, though their kill numbers were nowhere near his, Karen's or Shiro's, and even less so from Sayla's or the Commander's. Either way though, it didn't detract from the notion that Shrike Squadron was the best of the best.

That's when Job noticed something. "On that end, where is Commander Shiro? Didn't he get off the ship?"

Sanders shrugged. "I didn't see him, though I doubt he's still on the ship. He's probably wandering around the city right now; you know how planet-huggers are."

Michel took that in stride. "You think he's going to pawn that weird pocket chrono?"

"Hell no!" Kiki nearly shouted. "He never even takes that off! It's like his last remaining memory of Hiei or something."

Michel looked at Kiki curiously. "Do you even know how the Commander got it?"

Certain fury entered into Kiki's eyes as she turned to face, as if Michel had just accused Shiro of a heinous crime. "_That _was only a rumor...!" she almost bellowed. "There's no way in hell Commander Shiro would...!"

"Alright, that's enough." Sanders stated, quickly putting out the fire before it got out of hand. "_That _isn't something that needs to be discussed here. Understood?"

Quickly realizing that there was no room for argument, both pilots nodded hesitantly. After that point, silence reigned throughout the table for some time, conveniently just as the latest newsfeed came in. Almost every bar patron turned to watch as the all too expected bad news played out.

_"...confirmed, that as of 1453 hours Standard Time, the Crux Republic has formally surrendered to Zeon. While reports are still coming in, it is believed that Crux's Republican Guard has been completely wiped out, with any survivors likely forced into Zeon captivity. There are currently no reports on whereabouts of President Crux Dogatie or other high government officials, although it is being claimed that Prime Minister Henri Karas is the official the Zeon are negotiating with. In response to these developments, President Jamitov has called an emergency meeting with Fleet Admiral Revil for..."_

"This war is never going to end, is it?" Michel let out, signaling the thoughts of everyone at the table, if not the rest of the bar.

Terry only sighed. "Oh, it will end Ensign." he said, before taking a drink. "It just won't end the way any of us want it to."

Once more, silence reigned.

* * *

"Man, first planet we've been on in a while..." Ensign Kai Shiden complained, leaning tiredly against the side of one of the many _Guncannon Troopers_ in the _Ark Royal_'s hangar, while Hayato continued to work from the open cockpit. "And you spend the first hour of shore leave _working on your suit._" he stated with a near disgusted tone. "Can't you see _anything _wrong with that?"

"There's nothing wrong with making sure one's mobile suit works properly." Hayato shot back as he continued typing on the holographic keyboard in front of him; holographic interfacing was standard equipment on MS and most other military machines. "If you want to get off and wander around, then don't let me hold you back Kai."

"If I did that, you'd be at this all night; hell, you'd _still _be at this by the time we depart." Kai replied with a wave of the hand. "It's no wonder you never got laid at the Academy."

Hayato cringed at the thought. "Forgive me for concentrating on studying instead of trying to nail every girl I came across." he replied sarcastically. "Not that you got far on that yourself. From what I heard, you weren't exactly 'popular'."

Kai only shrugged. "Hey, can't blame a guy for trying. And it wasn't like I struck out all the time." he then turned serious. "But really man, you can't stay like this. It's unhealthy, on top of borderline obsessive."

That's when Hayato stopped typing altogether. "Look, I just want my _Guncannon_ to work the next time we go up against the Zeeks, alright?" he looked down in near anger. "Damn _Zakus _can already outmaneuver our suits; god knows they have so much over us. So I'm trying to make my unit more responsive; it'll give me some compensation anyway."

"Sounds like one of my exes." Kai commented dryly. He then held his hands up in surrender. "But that's beside the point. I know _why_ you're doing it Hayato; what I don't get is you're doing it _now_." he gestured outward. "We're on a Federation world for Burke's sake! The last thing we're going to be doing here is shooting at _Zakus_. Unless you count the ones in the arcade games."

"Really?" Hayato inquired. "I remember a point in history where that attitude was abundant; specifically in the 1940s, when a certain country laid the bulk of its navy to anchor in a place called Pearl Harbor. Do you know what happened?"

Kai rubbed his head. "No clues. History isn't my thing."

"I figured." Hayato replied dryly. "At some point, my ancestors launched an attack on Pearl and decimated it. The same people that claimed the last thing they were going to be doing was 'shooting at Zeros' soon found themselves in that position, all the while their ships sank around them."

Kai felt the urge to rub his eyes next. "Your point?"

"My point is I don't want to take chances. After all, how do we know the Zeeks aren't going to hit this world?" Hayato inquired.

"Because it would be a waste of their sweet time?" Kai countered.

The other pilot was not convinced. "Right, just as Shangri-La was a waste for them." he then got back to work. "As I said, I'm not taking any chances, and neither should you."

"Whatever." Kai stated. "I think you doing this just to one up Amuro."

Again Hayato stopped, and though he didn't say anything at first, Kai knew he struck a chord. "What are you saying?"

"I'm more attentive than I look." Kai replied informatively. "I've noticed that, ever since we saw _Unit Alpha_'s battle footage from Shangri-La, you've been working around your _Guncannon_ more and more. When you weren't going through sims, you work to tune up your suit just like you're doing now, if not going over _Zaku _battle data." Kai then smiled. "In my professional opinion, you have pilot envy."

Anger started to wash over Hayato's eyes. "All that bastard has is a better mobile suit." he growled almost threateningly. "If _I _had a _Gundam _for myself, I could probably take on the Red Comet too!"

"Yeah, right, you keep telling yourself that." Kai replied, before turning away. "In the meantime, I'm going to go into town, have a few drinks, maybe even get some late night company. You just keep sitting there, believing that all those mods to your _Guncannon _will help you beat the new guy."

_"Get the hell off my suit Kai!" _Hayato bellowed, his anger finally out and about.

"Alright, alright, I'm gone." Kai said, as he jumped off the _Guncannon_'s open palm and onto the nearby zipline, which lowered him toward the floor. "But it still wouldn't kill you to go out and have a good time yourself!" he called out, before moving to the nearest turbolift.

Hayato simply spat and went back to work again. As he did however, his mind became filled with the image of _Unit Alpha_ and its pilot, causing Hayato's eyes to narrow in disdain. _No way in hell I envy that _aitsu_._ he thought. _He's just a nobody with a better suit. That's it. Nothing more._

* * *

"I want to go back to the ship." Amuro whined as he strode down the overly active streets with Fraw leading him on. "Is that too much to ask for?"

"As a matter of fact, it is." Fraw replied as she continued to walk. "We don't know how long it will be before we stop on another planet, so as your doctor, I insist that you spend your shore leave accordingly."

Amuro sneered in annoyance. "And who the hell made you my doctor?"

"Captain Bright did, when he made me the new CMO." Fraw replied evenly.

"But you have the same rank I do!" Amuro nearly shouted, gesturing toward the rank pips on Fraw's uniform.

"According to Star Force regulations, I have 'unilateral authority in all matters regarding the health and safety of the crew', regardless of rank." Fraw answered, before casting a corner smile at Amuro. "And seeing as you're now part of the _Ark_'s crew, that includes you."

The _Gundam _pilot could only glare as Fraw gestured toward a nearby marketplace. "Come on, it won't hurt you to get out once in a while Amuro." she said, as she turned and wandered into the market, looking over the various wares and food items. She was especially interested in the types of native fruit that were being sold from one stand.

Instead of joining her, Amuro only stood by and shook his head; at the very least Fraw was no longer overwhelmed by the death of her parents. Sure, Amuro could still sense some grief underneath the surface pleasantness, but otherwise the _Ark Royal_'s new Chief Medical Officer had fit into her new job rather well. And as a bonus, it also gave a reason to stay aboard the _Ark _as opposed to getting off here on Jericho; for better or worse, Amuro appreciated that much.

Deciding to wait for her, Amuro leaned up against the side of the building, arms crossed and keeping watch as Fraw went about the various stands. Even if he lost sight of her, he could still depict her presence from the rest of the crowd, so it wasn't like he would lose her. Not that Fraw wasn't capable of taking care of herself.

Time seemed to pass by from there, as Amuro continued to gaze out at the marketplace, while his special sense picked up on the surrounding area and all the citizens going about their business. It was more or less a normal scene, no different in scope than what he had felt before in similar environments on Shangri-La or Earth. Over that period however, Amuro started to feel something was off with everything.

Trying to determine the source of his discomfort, Amuro felt himself peer up toward the sky, which was starting to move into twilight as the Jerichoan sun set over the horizon. As such, the sky wasn't entirely dark, but the stars were beginning to make their appearances in the soon to be night sky, which Amuro's eyes could just barely see. All the while his special senses detected something more ominous among that plain.

Suddenly, Amuro nearly jumped as he saw a beam of light fall from the sky and slam into the world around him, causing the ground to crack open and flames to spill out. Peoples screams soon began to fill his ears, while his eyes beheld those around him disintegrate into the light, vanishing completely. From there, he felt the rest of the world soon white out...

"Amuro?" Amuro heard his name and felt Fraw shake his arm, causing him to return to reality. "Are you okay Amuro?"

The Lieutenant quickly blinked his eyes, remembering where he was and what he was doing, and then shook his head. _I must be more tired than I thought. _"I'm fine Fraw." he said as he turned to march off.

For a moment, Fraw only watched with certain concern in her eyes. However, when she realized there was nothing wrong, or at least nothing _perceptibly _wrong, with her companion, she quickly raced up to join him.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Author's Notes:** Hello again. I know this chapter came out very late (my last update was February), but as said before, my main focus is _Code Geass Megiddo_ and that updates for this story would be infrequent. Not that I don't enjoy writing it of course. Anyway, this is obviously my twist on the _White Base_'s visit to Luna II in _MSG_, though if it weren't for Wakkein, and the fact the planet itself is named Jericho "II", it would have probably been hard to make that connection.

Moving along, as you all likely figured out, yes _Unit Beta_ and _Unit Gamma_ are essentially painted in (UC) Titans and Char Aznable colors respectively. Blue has always been Sleggar's trademark color, even in the original series, and if there's anyone besides Char that warrants piloting a red Gundam, then Sayla is the one. _Unit Alpha_ itself is now painted in the RX-78's "Rollout" colors (minus the grey parts), and thus can at long last live up to its title as the "White Mobile Suit". And finally, for their respective personal insignia, Amuro's has his trademark red A, Sleggar's is based on the Clan Snow Raven insignia from _Battletech_ (only with no diamond, a blue phoenix instead of a raven and a sword instead of an icicle) and Sayla's is an expy of the Razgriz Squadron insignia from _Ace Combat 5_.

Following that, for anyone that cares, this is the Shrike Squadron layout:

**EFSF 105th Mobile Suit Squadron****  
****Nickname:** Shrikes  
**Garrison/HQ:** _Midway_-class fleetcarrier _Ark Royal_  
**Motto:** _Aduentes Fortuna Juvat_ ("Fortune Favors the Bold")  
**Pilots/Units Attached:**  
**First Team**  
CDR Sleggar Law - Shrike One - RGX-780 Gundam "Unit Beta"  
LTJG Sayla Mass - Shrike Two - RGX-780 Gundam "Unit Gamma"  
LTJG Amuro Ray - Shrike Three - RGX-780 Gundam "Unit Alpha"  
**Second Team**  
LCDR Shiro Amada - Shrike Four - RGC-605 Guncannon Stormer  
ENS Kiki Rosita - Shrike Five - RGC-601 Guncannon Trooper  
ENS Michel Ninorich - Shrike Six - RGC-601 Guncannon Trooper  
**Third Team**  
LT Karen Joshua - Shrike Seven - RGC-603 Guncannon Hellfire  
LTJG Eledore Mauris - Shrike Eight - RGC-601 Guncannon Trooper  
LTJG Job John - Shrike Nine - RGC-601 Guncannon Trooper  
**Fourth Team  
**LT Terry Sanders - Shrike Ten - RGC-608 Guncannon Buster  
ENS Hayato Kobayashi - Shrike Eleven - RGC-601 Guncannon Trooper  
ENS Kai Shiden - Shrike Twelve - RGC-601 Guncannon Trooper

Additionally, here are the Federation ships that appear in this chapter:

_**Actium**_**-class battlecruiser** - Star Force's main battlecruiser class, taking on the role of the _Magellan_ from the first series. In design, it's essentially based on the _Ra Cailum_, though they naturally look more "futuristic". As with the _Magellan_ in the original series, _Actiums_ are high profile starships, given out to more-than-able commanders or VIPs in need of flagships. They're not quite as fast as Zeon's _Scharnhorst_ battlecruisers, nor do they hold as much raw firepower (holding only four beam cannons to the _Scharnhorst_'s seven), but they're still the most effective battlecruisers/command ships in Star Force. Each one can hold up to twelve mobile suits (one squadron).

Following along my theme of Star Force ships being named after AD era naval battles, the _Actium_-class is named after the Battle of Actium from the Final War of the Roman Republic.

_**Eurymedon**_**-class cruiser -** Essentially the backbone warship of Star Force, taking the place of the _Salamis_-class from the original series. As one can expect, they're based around the _Clop_-class cruiser, and like the _Actiums_ they're meant to be more futuristic looking than their UC base class. Similar to Zeon's _Dresden_-class cruiser line, _Eurymedons_ are designed to be used in large numbers and for a variety of mission roles; for that purpose, they only have a meager pair of beam cannons for heavy firepower, though this allows them to carry additional beam phalanxes for AA defense. Compared to the _Dresden_, they're more heavily armored and can take a greater volume of punishment, but as a result are not as fast as their Zeon contemporaries. Along with that, they each carry a total of six mobile suits apiece (two teams).

In terms of namesake, the _Eurymedon_ has the privilege of being named after _two_battles, both fought on the Eurymedon River in ancient Greece: one between the Delian League and the Achaemenid Empire in 466 BC, and the other between the Roman Republic and the Seleucid Empire in 190 BC.

And finally, like I did with _Megiddo_, I created a space on the Gundam Fanon Wiki for _MSGA_ (see author's profile). I'm not sure if I'm ever going to do much with it, but it's there all the same. For the moment it has character and mecha listings, as well as an (incomplete) timeline of the Galactic Century era for all you curious readers out there.


	5. Chapter V: Light of Hatred

**Chapter V: Light of Hatred**

**Jericho II, Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

In relative peace, or at least what little peace he could muster in at the counter of an inner city tavern during a national holiday, Bright silently began to nurse his Newcastle brown ale as soon as the barkeep put it in front of him. It was now 1100, right after Admiral Wakkein's briefing had ended; a briefing that Bright came out of feeling as though he had been punched in the gut ten thousand times over. Thus, the alcohol was not only soothing, it was outright therapeutic.

The background music only added to the somberness that surrounded Bright like a planet's atmosphere; although he wasn't as big on more modern tunes as most others, even he recognized the mellow, rhythmic tone of Jun Hiroe's "Silent Voice". He personally found it a strange piece to be playing on a day of celebration, but then he really had no say or expertise on what the Jerichoans considered party music. At the very least it worked to sooth him as much as his glass of ale, which was what he needed right now, and as a bonus it drowned out the excess noise too. Now if it could only do something for the headache Bright felt coming on, which was yet another result of the earlier briefing.

Either way, for the time being, Bright just wanted to be left alone to drink and forget, if only for this one moment in time before he went back to being captain of the _Ark Royal_, for however much longer that would last. As such, when Sleggar and Mirai took seats on either side of him, he felt more disturbed at the violation of his tranquility than relieved to have friends nearby. At the same time however, he knew better than to tell them to leave him be; Wakkein had also saw fit to include them at the briefing, even though they were the only non-ship commanders to be there. An obvious jab at their presence at the meeting yesterday.

"One Blue Moon and a Jovian Iced Tea for the lady." Sleggar ordered after gaining the bartender's attention. Though not to Bright's extent, the CAG sounded like he was nursing a migraine in the making, evidenced by the way he stared at his flexing fingers. "I _really_ want to kill something."

"Sorry, but you'll have to wait until Delaz's fleet shows up for that." Mirai commented dryly, just as the bartender returned with their drinks. She quickly took a sip from her alcohol induced iced tea and relished the flavor, before a bitter expression crossed her face. "Myself, I'm still wrapping my head over the Admiral's strategy."

Bright frowned at that one himself. Wakkein's plan was to divide the Second Fleet forces into two groups, with the first group to advance on the Zeon fleet when it appeared in Jerichoan space, and the second group to remain planetside until the given command. During the initial battle, the first group would take the brunt of the Zeon attack, but would allow the landing ships and their mobile suit escorts to slip through, at which point the second group was to launch into orbit. In theory, the landing forces would be caught against the second wave of Federation warships and MS as well as the planets defense satellites, and after they were eliminated, the second group would supplement the first in dealing with the rest of Delaz's fleet. From there, the remaining Zeon forces would either be eliminated or they would end up fleeing the system.

In Bright's opinion, the strategy would be effective against the Zeon should they attempt to directly invade Jericho II, but at the same time was also overspecialized in that area. Who was to say the Zeon would directly advance on Jericho II? There were multiple strategies for Delaz to follow in invading the planet, and it wasn't assured that was his objective. He kept such opinions to himself however, especially when his new superior would have none of his tactical expertise.

Mirai, being Bright's trusted XO, seemed to catch on to the same ideas. "It's a solid plan I admit, but it assumes too much. We don't even know if the Zeon are going to send a conventional landing force or not." she stated, before her look became darker. "And then there's his decision to put the _Ark Royal_ in the rear of the second wave..."

Seeing her temperament, Sleggar decided to step in. "Carriers are supposed to function in the rear. That's been standard strategy since the Second World War."

"Conventional carriers perhaps. But the _Ark Royal_ is as much a battlecruiser as she is a carrier." Mirai pointed out tensely. It was obvious she took great pride in her ship. "By all facts and logic, we should be part of the first wave, in the _Magellan_'s battle group." she took another drink before continuing, her eyes becoming more intense. "Besides, we all can guess why he placed the us there..."

"Indeed." Bright concurred, speaking up for the first time in what felt like hours. "Admiral Wakkein has every confidence in the _Ark Royal_ and her crew, but believes her captain inept and cowardly." he said, also taking a drink to alleviate the sting. "And the dark truth is he's not the only Admiral to think that."

"Can't be helped Bright. To the ones not in the know, or who won't bother to learn the truth, what you did at Arcturus would look like a coward's act." Sleggar said, patting his captain and friend on the back.

Mirai took a breath before she spoke up again. "Captain, if I may ask..." she started, causing Bright and Sleggar to both glance her way. "What exactly happened at Arcturus?"

Sleggar raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised. "You've been on the _Ark _for this long and you still don't know about Bright's Retreat?"

The executive officer adopted a harsh gaze at that phrase; she also took great pride in her captain. "I've heard rumors." she said, her voice low. "But I never believed them." she then looked at Bright. "I cannot for the life of me see you running away like that, sir."

Bright let out a small, bitter laugh at that. "Your faith in me is highly appreciated Mirai." he replied, before taking another drink. "Unfortunately however, those rumors are true: the _Ark Royal_ did run from Arcturus, and I commanded her to do so."

Again silence reigned briefly, before Mirai added. "Even if that's true sir." she spoke slowly, almost threateningly. "Surely there's more to the story than that."

Sleggar also looked toward Bright; not so much to hear the apparent truth, as he already knew about it, but to see if Bright would tell her or not. Bright Noa wasn't the type of man who liked sharing war stories, and Arcturus was far from one of his favorites to begin with.

Still, after a few moments of considering, as well as reflecting on Mirai's service to him and the ship up to the current point, Bright finally decided that she had the right to know. "Before I begin, I want you know the context of the battle." he said, looking Mirai square in the eye. "As you may recall, Zeon prioritizes sinking carriers first and foremost. We had already lost eight of the original twelve _Midways_ in the war's early engagements; the _Midway_, _Akagi_, _Yorktown_, _Hornet_, _Shinano_, _Kaga_, _Saratoga_ and _Illustrious_, all sunk. Their destruction left the _Enterprise_, _Lexington_, _Soryu_ and _Hiryu_ as the remaining four, until the _Ark Royal_ was commissioned later on."

The captain then cast his executive officer a hardened look. "Thus, when Zeon received word that the last five ships of the _Midway_-class were gathered at Arcturus, they quickly singled us out from the rest of the fleet. With that in mind, you should have a clear picture of what we were going up against."

Mirai could only nod grimly at that statement, already imagining just how much the Zeon threw at the _Ark Royal_ in that battle. With that accomplished, Bright went on. "The battle only lasted for a few hours, but it might as well had been days. From the onset, we were ordered to deploy our mobile suits forward into the enemy fleet, and so were left with only a small rear guard and our AA defenses for a screen. Every minute was a struggle, every enemy defeated quickly replaced by dozens more. Damage reports kept coming in, and our defenses kept being chipped away."

He looked down a little bit. "But even so, we struggled on. We obliterated every ship and _Zaku_ they threw at us, no matter what their numbers were." something akin to pride flashed in his eyes. "For a time, it seemed like we were going to make our way through."

That pride was quickly replaced by something darker. "And then we picked up a newcomer: a single _Zaku_, flying over thirty percent faster than the others."

Recognition dawned in Mirai's gaze. "The Red Comet."

Bright nodded. "I knew we were all dead at that point. None of our escort suits or AA guns were touching him and he was aiming straight for the bridge. There was no time to maneuver, no time to clear the bridge. The only thing we could do was watch as Char closed in."

He knew what Mirai was going to ask next, and so beat her to the answer. "I survived, but for one reason alone: in the space preceding the attack, Captain Cassius shoved me into a turbolift and had it fast drop into the main hull." he then looked down toward the counter, recalling the image of the_ Ark Royal_'s first captain and Bright's mentor. "I just barely made it before the death blow; if the Captain had delayed for so much as two seconds, I would have perished with him and the rest of the bridge crew."

Again he sighed, trying to repress the imagery. "In the end, Char's attack didn't sink us, but it took out almost everything we had left. We lost the main bridge, the CDC, the hangar decks, the remainder of our weapons and armor, as well as the main engines. Both reactors were disabled and the auxiliaries were completely inoperable; we still had emergency power, but that was barely enough to hold the ship together, let alone keep us in the fight." he then looked toward Mirai carefully. "All that remained were the secondary engines, communication system and the warp drive. And the latter only had enough power for one jump."

Against the intensity of his gaze, Mirai could only look away. "You took the only option you had."

Bright looked toward his drink again. "Before he shoved me off the bridge, Captain Cassius gave me one last order: to get the ship out of the battle." he explained. "At that point, I was left with a ship that couldn't fight nor maneuver, and with the hangars and CDC destroyed, we couldn't recall our mobile suits even if they had been in comm. range." Mirai looked at Sleggar on that one, who nodded solemnly as Bright went on. "The _Ark Royal_ was all but dead in space, and would not withstand any further Zeon attacks."

Bright's eyes narrowed. "So, going against direct orders from the squadron flagship, I ordered an emergency jump back to Earth, as close as we could get." He shook his head at that, starting to feel his emotions well up. "I did what I had to do to follow my commander's last order, to save my ship and crew, and damn it all, I will _never_ apologize for it!" he declared stoutly.

Mirai wasn't shaken by that declaration in the least, but she still felt the force behind it. Seeing that, Bright calmed down. "Since then, half of Star Force sees me as a hero who ultimately saved his ship, and the other half sees me as a coward who fled in the heat of battle." he stated. "Obviously, Wakkein's one of the latter."

"Obviously." Sleggar commented dryly, taking a sip of his drink as well. "At least his word doesn't amount as much as Fleet Admiral Revil's."

Bright nodded as he took a drink as well. After all, it had been Admiral Revil's word alone that had kept him in the service, and much more promoted him to Captain and given him command of the _Ark Royal_. To this day he didn't know what the Admiral saw in him to do it, but at the same time he didn't question it. "Either way, the sooner we get back on track to Earth, the better."

Mirai eyed her commander curiously. "Even if it means having to take part in another major battle?"

Bright allowed himself to smirk a little. "Just another day at the office, as far as I'm concerned." he said, before letting the smirk fade. "Besides, after such battles as Arcturus and Riah, I doubt this one will be anything to write in the history books."

"That is assuming people still _write_ in the physical sense, much less print actual _books_, in this day and age." Sleggar replied dryly before taking another drink himself. He did not miss the dubious glances from the other two.

Bright was about to let off a dry retort to that statement, which not only would have informed Sleggar that people still physically wrote books in the Galactic Century, but they also used things like wheels and motor engines on occasion. However, before he could speak one word of it, he felt the databand on his left wrist buzz, informing that it had received a new message. Essentially the wrist mounted combination of a datapad, chronometer and a comm. device with holographic display features, the databand was a standard facet for Star Force personnel; they were to have it on them at nearly all times, especially when off duty. Sleggar, in his usual manner, had at certain points called it an "iWatch", whatever that was.

At first, Bright was going to ignore it; whatever it was could wait until he was back on duty as far as he was concerned. But then he noticed that Sleggar and Mirai's databands had also vibrated, as did those of the other Star Force personnel in the tavern. Thus, feeling certain grimness in his heart, Bright reached up and tapped the device, causing a holographic message window to form in front of him. When he read the contents of the message, his eyes widened in alarm.

"Back to the ship. _Now._" he stated to both Mirai and Sleggar. The two, alarm apparent in their eyes as well, nodded and quickly got up with their captain, before hurriedly exiting with the other Star Force personnel.

Needless to say, the bartender and the other patrons were quite disturbed by this development.

* * *

Amuro Ray had never been a firm believer in the Chaos In Control theory, which claimed control and order could be born out of the most unstable and unpredictable forms and entities. However, upon standing at the side of the street, amidst a crowd of cheering Jerichoans, the cascading sounds of band music ringing out for all to hear and the tones of celebration in full and unrestricted movement, he found himself reconsidering his stance upon that theory. At least, in between the urges to ask Fraw, who was standing next to him, for quick medication; the minute headache he had felt when it all began was now threatening to turn into a full migraine.

By and large, the seventieth anniversary celebration of their planet's colonization was in full spirit as well as full volume. The entire city was decked out in lights and colored streamers. Revelers in costumes based upon various cultural themes and characters, both ancient and modern, were out en masse; in fact, there was a whole parade of them, alongside accompanying floats, running through Main Street at that very moment. People had spent the last several hours in a unified state of inebriation, the cheering and pleasant greetings constant and the food and alcohol unending. Politics were mocked (especially in the case of the Earth Federation's current President, Jamitov Hyran), formalities ignored, and wickedness could be said to having a gala affair throughout the very planet. For all accounts and purposes, Jericho II was in a state of uncontrollable bliss, and a far more intensive bliss than one would believe a non-Zeon Outer Rim world was capable of.

Naturally, this was _not_ something Amuro wanted to be a part of, let alone stuck in the middle of it. Throughout his short life he had never been a party person; he even hated the birthday parties his Kindergarten class threw for him. No, he belonged either in his room, working on various personal projects, playing hologames or watching movies and holo shows, or in the cockpit of _Unit Alpha_, working out Project V's kinks; a true introvert as described in the _Dictionary Galactica_. And that was not discounting the fact that the sheer jubilance and celebration only played havoc on his sixth sense, making him feel the most overwhelmed he had been in a decade.

Unfortunately, none of that meant a thing to Fraw, as usual. Once again she had insisted that he get out and "live", whatever the hell that meant. At the moment she was waving toward a cartoon themed float, complete with mascots. "Come on Amuro, join the fun!" she called out to him in the middle of her waving. "You only get to live once, especially in your line of work."

"Don't remind me." Amuro replied with a grimace, trying to ignore the pulsating in his head. It only got worse. "Can we _please_ go now, or at least take a break?"

"For the fourth time in the last seven minutes, _no_!" Fraw answered staunchly. "You are _not_ going to slink back to the _Ark Royal_ and lock yourself away from all this!"

"But Fraw...!" Amuro tried to whine.

"It's final Amuro!" Fraw interrupted, determination unyielding and annoyance mounting. "Ask me again, and I'll write you up for ignoring medical advice and recommend you be taken off the active duty roster!"

Though he wasn't sure if Fraw could actually carry out that threat, Amuro backed down regardless. It just wasn't worth getting into a conflict with her over, but then not many things were. As such, he stood back and continued to watch the parade, all the while ignoring his sixth sense as well as his instinct to remove himself from the crowd and duck into the nearest corner.

Eventually though, one float passed into the parade that captured his interest: a giant green Haro, surrounded by men and women dressed in costumes from the cartoon series _Superior Defender Force_. It was an old series that dated back twenty years, but it was still widely popular throughout the galaxy; Amuro had heard rumors that it had even reached as far out as Zeon, and that the Zeon had even made a mono-eyed Haro for their own mascot. Naturally, it had been one of his own favorites growing up, such that he couldn't keep from smiling at the display, as well as when one of the girls waved at him while calling out the trademark "Hello Genki."

Immediately Fraw took notice of this development and smirked herself. "Well, looks like we finally have progress." she surmised. "And here I thought you never watched the holo, much less had any favorites."

"Even _I _had a childhood once upon a time, Fraw." Amuro retorted, his current mood remaining. "Contrary to what my Star Force medical record may claim, I wasn't born in a mobile suit cockpit."

Fraw snickered at that. "Actually, your record claims you were born in Saint Francis Hospital in Norad." she replied, looking back at the float. "I take it you had a Haro growing up?"

"What kid _didn't_ have a Haro growing up?" Amuro rhetorically questioned, once more smiling at the memories. "I had all sorts of fun with mine, probably a bit more than the designers intended."

Fraw could imagine that. "Let me guess, you kept taking it apart and putting it back together."

"That and I kept adding features to it through the process." Amuro said, slowly getting into it. "Did you know I was the only kid on the block who had a Haro that could fly?"

His companion raised an eyebrow. "I thought Haros could already fly."

"In minimal gravity sure, but not in Earth's well." Amuro clarified. "I got around this through a miniaturized hover drive, which I added into its base, and then programmed the wing flaps to provide stabilization. At most it could only reach five meters off the ground, but it could stay in the air for quite some time."

"Interesting." Fraw replied, before a thought occurred to her. "Do they actually make hover drives that small?"

"Not back then. I practically invented it, though all I did was miniaturize an existing design." Amuro said, now speaking with certain pride. "My first engineering triumph."

"Heh. Figures." Fraw chuckled. Inwardly she was just happy Amuro was finally opening up with her; this had been her ulterior motive in keeping him out there, such that she was willing to endure the crowd and the standing around herself for it. Indeed, they _were_ making progress, albeit by a small amount.

Starting to feel himself get into it, Amuro kept watch over the parade, curious to see if he would see anything else nostalgic to him. However, the more he watched, the more he felt a strange sensation enter his mind; a very discomforting and _familiar_ sensation that made his blood run cold. The feeling that something was off with the setting; the feeling that impending doom was approaching.

_What is that...?_ Amuro thought, as he twisted his head around, trying to find the source of the sensation. Suddenly he felt a spark erupt from his consciousness, as several images entered his mind: the cloaked silhouettes of Zeon warships traveling through a warp tunnel, only to emerge within the system. A moment later, a blinding beam of light across space, which then reached out toward Jericho. And then, right before his eyes, Amuro watched that beam shoot down and blast into the surface, filling his entire world with white.

Unable to contain it, Amuro felt himself hunch over, the urge to vomit beginning to overpower him. Subconsciously he held it down, but it was still enough to cause him to breath heavy and become weak. Fraw was over him immediately.

"Amuro!?" she called out, worry now apparent. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Fraw... I..." Amuro barely managed to mouth out, reaching his hand over his head, strain visible in his expression.

Despite not understanding what was happening, Fraw was quick to act, her concern for Amuro outweighing her confusion. "We're done here." she stated straight off, before standing Amuro up and putting her hand over his shoulder. "Let's get you back to the ship."

Amuro was only too eager to acknowledge, though at that point he had effectively shook it off. Fraw saw that herself, but she wasn't about to risk any further exposure for the _Gundam_ pilot; for all she knew Amuro had just taken as much time planetside as he could for one day. And she knew he wasn't faking it, as Amuro wasn't the type of person to fake a seizure. Either way, she would only know what to do once she got him back to sickbay, where she could analyze him properly.

Unfortunately that would not come to be. Just as they managed to reach the edge of the crowd, both of their databands vibrated, causing them to reflexively raise them up and activate their displays. Horror quickly encompassed them as they read the message. "That's...!" Fraw breathed out, to shocked to form a full sentence.

Amuro wore the same expression, only his horror was compounded. All at once, his mind recalled what he had just seen, and the message suddenly became clearer. Even so, both his training and his instinct caused him to focus. "As you said Fraw, we're heading back." he said simply.

At that, Fraw nodded in turn, and both moved quickly through the streets. Beside them, other members of Star Force also began to move, weaving their way out of the crowds, with more than one citizen noting the development. Certain anxiety quickly began to spread across New Torrington as a result.

* * *

It was the silence that greeted her first when she entered. Contrary to the city streets, which were filled with the sounds of music, jovial laughter and joyful calls, the inside of the church was quiet and tranquil, as appropriate for a place in which one found solace from the even continuous chaos and despair of existence. In fact, so peaceful did she find that the interior, that one could actually believe that God himself took up residence in this place, just as it had been written upon book and scroll thousands of years ago.

Of course, Sayla had other reasons for being there, in this House of the Lord that had endured since Jericho's colonial days. None of them had anything to do with worship, but they were just as important to her. To put it succinctly, there was a certain power that surrounded places of faith; a power that for all her own wisdom she, and those like her, could not explain. It was a power that transcended the flesh and fulfilled the soul, providing calm to the most turbulent of entities as well as causing one to feel hope where none otherwise existed. Perhaps it was the power of the Lord Almighty, perhaps it wasn't. Perhaps it was the lingering will and joy of those who frequented and worshiped in this place, perhaps it wasn't. All Sayla knew was that she needed to feel that power now, before she again returned to space and fought her crusade.

Slowly she continued to walk down the nave, past the dual rows of pews. It was midday now, and as such the Jerichoan sun shone brightly through the various stained glass windows, casting a myriad of color and shadow along her path and further augmenting the tranquility; again all too fitting for a sanctuary against the evils of the universe. She adhered to the tone of her surroundings, making sure that her footsteps were controlled and muted while body motions remained conserved. She also made a conscious effort not to touch anything, if only as an extra effort. Eventually she made her way up to the bema, from which she looked up toward the ornate, gold embroidered cross hanging down from the back wall

For a time, she stood there, studying the cross, upon which the ultimate representation of power and love was said to have been condemned. Thousands of years ago, the Son of God made the ultimate sacrifice for all of mankind, taking their sins upon himself and plunging into Death so that they may be forgiven from on high. Today, in spite of all the advancements of mankind, as well as those who questioned if that man really was of divine nature, that sacrifice had yet to be forgotten, and so its image had been placed upon this world at the far reaches of the galaxy. Looking it over, Sayla had to admit to herself that, while she was also unsure if that man as really God in mortal form, she still admired his devotion to his purpose, as well as those around him.

And then she picked up the presence of another. "Well, this is a surprise." the blonde haired, oddly bespectacled priest spoke as he himself entered. "I wasn't expecting this place to receive any visitors, at least not at this hour." he smiled jokingly as he then said. "I assume you're here for confession?"

Sayla sniffed at that. "I think you can already tell the sins I've committed, just from this uniform." she replied, continuing to look up at the cross.

The priest chuckled at that. "This is good, as receiving confessions is not something I aspire to." he said, as he came up next to her. "Though it still leaves the question: why are you here, child?"

Sayla considered her answer for a moment. "For solace, Father." she replied. "A moment of peace before I return to the Crusade."

The priest arched an eyebrow. "A peculiar reference." he answered. "Are you referring to this war that has enveloped the galaxy? Or one of a more personal nature?"

Sayla finally looked down on that one. "Both." she answered. "The Federation's war against Zeon is my own." she then looked back at the priest with a hardened gaze. "I suppose this is where you lecture me on vengeance being the Lord's alone."

The old priest merely laughed and shook his head. "Such a lecture is not mine to give child. If the Lord wishes you to relearn that creed, then he will bring it to your attention in due time."

The exile nodded in acknowledgment, before turning back toward the cross, once more studying it. A long moment of silence past before she started speaking again. "A curious notion." she said. "Not many things have survived these last several centuries, when man started colonizing the Stars." she spoke. "And yet, our faith and belief in an all powerful, all knowing force that transcends understanding still persists."

"A curious notion indeed." the priest answered, also looking up at the cross. "This church was built when Jericho II was only a colony world itself, existing in the very fringes of space." he spoke knowledgeably. "When you look back at the earliest pioneers of the Outer Rim, they mostly consisted of undesirables, such as criminals and political exiles; humans that were not accepted in the Inner or Middle Worlds. Thus, they settled upon the Outer Worlds, at the farthest ends of our galaxy, because there was nowhere else for them to go."

He shook his head. "In worlds such as this one, light is a precious commodity. The stars furthest from the Galactic Core do not give off as much light as those closer in; as such, darkness is far more prevalent here than Man is used to. And yet, humans, no matter how much they have evolved from their ancestors, cannot live without light; as such, when the stars fail, it is only natural that they place their faith into one who is said to be the Everlasting Light."

"Even though we humans have long since put an end to the era of God?" Sayla shot back in an ironic tone.

The priest chuckled at that, recognizing the famous quote from the first Earth Federation President. "Ricardo Marcenas was not the first to claim such." he stated. "You can look back as far back in human history as you wish, and you will find there were multiple occasions in which mankind attempted to distance itself from God." he looked back toward the cross. "Many times man has attempted to replace Him with another light. Sometimes it would be one of their own who rose above the rest, other times it would be a new kind of philosophy that claimed to transcend all of humanity, and even more it would be the simple desire for wealth and power."

He looked back at Sayla. "And yet, each time those institutions would fail, and mankind would find itself seeking Him once again." he stated knowingly. "And so it shall be with Zeon in the here and now."

Sayla felt herself sneer at that. "Or at least with Gihren."

The priest gave a flat smile himself. "Again, it's only natural. Zeon was once a desolate world barely fit to support life, so its inhabitants turned toward the closest light they could find." he replied. "Originally it was the Daikuns, now it has since transitioned to the Zabis."

The mobile suit ace almost bit her lip on that one. "At least neither Bismarck von Daikun nor his heirs ever claimed themselves as Gods." she said, trying to keep the defensiveness from her voice. "The people followed them not because they proclaimed divinity, but because they proclaimed vision."

"Indeed." the priest concurred, noticing a certain change in his young ward. "And a spectacular if terrifying vision they possessed."

It was then that Sayla noticed that the priest was holding a book under his left arm. At first, she thought it was a Bible, but upon closer inspection, she noticed it had a different texture and page width to it than the holy scripture. As well, upon closer inspection, she found that the title was quite different. "Is that...?"

The priest again chuckled as he held up the black book, revealing golden print on its cover. The title was _Ascension_, and its listed author was Markus von Daikun.

"Not quite something you would expect a someone like me to read, is it?" he asked, as he held up the book and looked it over; it was apparent that he had been reading it just before coming out to meet Sayla. "A rather long account that, despite written by a mortal man, speaks of powers and transferences beyond the imagination. Not all that different from many other texts in the past, which were written by other such men who believed they completely understood the will of God, or that they held true perception over the universe when those around them did not."

He looked up, as if considering. "And yet, unlike all those other texts, there is certain truth to this one."

_"The Ascension of Mankind."_ Sayla quoted, looking at the book with certain familiarity. "As humanity journeys further into the void of space, their latent power, free from the influence of Earth, will blossom in order to adapt to the failing light."

The priest again smiled. "Indeed."

Sayla felt a certain weight to those words, as written by the great Emperor Markus long ago. However, she retained a skeptical front. "You believe such a claim?"

The priest smiled. "I believe that there are events in motion that are beyond human understanding." he replied, just as a familiar wave of pressure emanated from his form. "Events that even those who foresaw and wrote prophecy could not comprehend."

Sayla closed her eyes and lightly smiled at that. "Except there was one thing that they understood... One thing that Emperor Markus and his family understood..."

She then opened her eyes again, they projected power. _"That _our_ coming would mark the final days, as well as the final evolution, of humanity."_

The priest again nodded. _"When Man rises to the Realm of God."_

Suddenly a surge of energy rushed into Sayla's mind, causing her turn away with visible shock. In her mind's eye, she could see the image of cloaked Zeon ships moving through warp, while the profile of their commander, a tall, bald headed man with a goatee, wearing a uniform with Admiral markings, instilled itself upon her consciousness. From that, it wasn't long before her memory became active and recalled everything she knew about that man.

_This feeling... _she thought, looking upon the Admiral with great and terrible familiarity. _Delaz!_

Sure enough, her databand began to vibrate, reflexively causing her to lift her arm and activate the holoprojector, thereby displaying the message. The first thing she noticed was it had been sent by Jericho Command; in other words, Admiral Wakkein himself.

**ZEON FLEET INCOMING  
ETA THIRTY MINUTES  
ALL PERSONNEL REPORT TO BATTLESTATIONS**

The priest sighed as he himself seemed to know what was going on. "It would seem we're out of time." he said solemnly. "And that certain events are about to transpire."

"I suggest you find shelter, or a way off planet. Things are going to be rough in the next few minutes." Sayla replied, before turning to rush out the entryway. However, before she exited the chapel, she turned and looked toward the priest one last time. "Out of curiosity, Father, what is your name?"

Strangely, the priest laughed a little at that. "I'm afraid I do not possess such a thing, child." he replied, that smile ever present. "But if you need a word reference for myself, you could liken me to an observer. One who stands on the sidelines and watches."

Needless to say, Sayla found that _very_ peculiar. Even so, she decided that would be enough. "I _truly _hope we meet again, Father." she replied before running out, mentally preparing herself for battle as she did.

No sooner than had she exited the church did the early warning sirens sound off throughout New Torrington. Alongside the rest of the planet.

* * *

**Zeon **_**Scharnhorst**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Peer Gynt**_**  
Warp  
****July 1, GC 379**

Watching the sheering tunnel of light continue to streak around the _Peer Gynt_'s central bridge viewport, Admiral Aigulle Delaz, commander of the Zeon Imperial Guard's Fourth Fleet, allowed a highly anticipating smile to creep upon his face. In the next approximate half hour, his forces would reach the end of that tunnel and enter the Jericho System, one of the many strongholds of Zeon's enemies. From there, he would deploy his forces and do battle with them; or more specifically, he would deploy his forces and _obliterate_ them, period. The special unit that his fleet was shepherding would see to that.

In the meantime however, all he could do was continue to watch that tunnel of light, created by millions upon millions of stars streaking past his flagship, engulf his vision. Though it was still a half hour before time of arrival, and he had every right to retire to his office or personal quarters until then, he preferred to remain on the bridge with the rest of his crew. After all, he had already called for Level 1 Battlestations, and it would certainly not do well for him to break protocol, even if he was an Admiral. Others in his position would have done it, but Delaz hated the very thought of it; as such, he would endure the same regulations and protocols that he expected his men to. Besides, there really wasn't much else for him to do at this point.

Out of reflex he checked his wrist chronometer: twenty-four minutes until reversion now. He groaned at that, feeling as though he were stuck in a time-space anomaly as opposed to a warp tunnel, one in which time either moved more slowly than in realspace or not at all. In summary, it was the waiting before the big battle that Delaz, as with many others in his position, hated the most. Being a Zeon, he did not fear battle, especially battle against the lowborn of the Federation, but he still wanted to get into it, finish it and bask in the glory as soon as possible. If only warp travel were instantaneous. _Just another thing for our Race to figure out in time._ he thought bemusedly. _Though it would be preferable before the war's end._

Soon enough, his genetically enhanced hearing picked up the sound of turbolift doors opening from behind the bridge. From there, a singular pair of footsteps emerged and made its way forward, until they came right next to his command chair. Despite the new presence however, Delaz didn't turn, as he already knew who the newcomer was. "I thought you would be in your _Zaku_ awaiting launch, Commander."

Retaining a smile, Commander Anavel Gato let off a shrug. "I will return to my _Zaku_ when the time is right Admiral." he replied casually. "Until then, I wish to directly witness our initial victory."

That earned a small laugh from Delaz. Despite the great difference in rank, they had been friends for quite some time. "I see you are already convinced of this battle's outcome."

"'Battle'?" Gato repeated, laughing himself. "With all due respect Admiral, this will not be a battle, but a slaughter. A battle would have been if we gave the Feddies a fighting chance."

"They may just have a fighting chance Commander." Delaz replied staunchly, again looking at the chronometer. "Anything can happen in the next twenty minutes or so, including Wakkein sensing our approaching and moving his fleet to respond."

"I doubt that Wakkein could sense an approaching bowel movement." Gato stated dismissively. "And if, through some miracle of the universe, does detect our approach, so what? That just means we'll destroy him in the traditional manner." He then added with confidence. "And even then, our victory remains, as there is no way the Feddies will be able to foresee our main attack. Much less respond to it in time."

"Indeed." Delaz concurred. "But that still leaves one of our main objectives unfulfilled."

"Only for the moment Admiral. What our blitzkrieg doesn't destroy will only be vulnerable to our follow up attack." Gato said with certain reassurance.

Delaz frowned. "You're assuming that whatever forces remain will be too overrun with despair to mount an effective defense." he elaborated. "In my experience, that is not always an absolute."

"Don't tell me you believe that myth; that lowborn, when cornered, will only be driven to fight on." Gato waved dismissively. "That's never happened in _my_ experience."

"Recall the Battle of Arcturus, Commander." Delaz stated, as if warning. "We were right on the doorstep of the Federation's capital world, victory close to formulation, yet we were still denied because Star Force would not give up the fight."

Again Gato shook his head, but this time out of disagreement. "Once more with all respect Admiral, the Feddies won Arcturus because they still felt hope; hope, if only to deny our inevitable victory and continue the war. In turn, that hope was born out of motivation to protect their precious Earth."

His smile returned, taking on a bloodthirsty tone, one charismatic of a Zeon warrior. "This operation is different. Assuming our first attack does not destroy all of them, we will still have stripped the lowborn of their motivation, and therefore their hope. And from that, they will lose their will to fight in turn."

"They may still wish to avenge their dead." Delaz pointed out.

"Such desire tends to be eliminated by their survival instincts." Gato deterred. "If any do continue to fight, it will be in order to escape, _not_ to destroy us or even hurt us."

Delaz let out a breath of air from nostrils at that idea. In truth, everything Gato said was logical and well within the underdeveloped psyches of the sub-beings they were about to face. Hell, he outright _wanted_ the words Gato spoke to turn out as reality.

That being said however, his perspective as a fleet commander gave him a perspective that Gato, a mere mobile suit force commander, lacked. Whereas Gato had only seen Feddie mobile suits and ships run in his midst (before and after he had gained his famous epithet), Delaz had seen the Feddies stand firm against clear Zeon superiority. Whereas Gato had only seen the war from the cockpit of his _Zaku_, Delaz had seen it from both the bridge of his flagship as well as from tactical centers, stellar atlases, and even Emperor Gihren's private war room in Bismarck Palace. And finally, whereas Gato could get away with generalizing the lowborn to a matter of biology, Delaz could not do so by nature of his position; many Zeon commanders had paid with their commands and their lives for underestimating the lowborn, and though Delaz didn't expect much out of them himself, he still knew them to be capable of anything. It was only in battle itself did they show their full potential, and not before.

Thus was the answer he gave. "Either way." he started, once more looking at the chronometer. "We will see in the next sixteen minutes."

Gato nodded at that, before turning to look back at the tunnel of light in the bridge viewport. Indeed, they would see _everything_ in the next sixteen minutes, much to his anticipation, which was only shared by Delaz and every other member of the present Zeon force.

* * *

**Federation **_**Actium**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Magellan  
**_**Jericho II, Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

"Admiral on the bridge!" an anonymous bridge crewman called out as Wakkein exited the turbolift.

With the presence of a Venusian storm cloud, Wakkein made his way through the _Magellan_'s bridge and promptly took his seat in the command chair. At the moment the crew were still going through launch procedures, which were being rushed through for obvious reasons, and so there was nothing for him to do but sit in his chair and stew over the current situation. And stew he did.

_Goddamn you Delaz_. Wakkein mentally cursed at the imposing image of the bald and goateed Admiral in his mind, such that his lips subconsciously twisted into a highly infuriated sneer. He might not have been the most brilliant Admiral in Star Force, but he was not an idiot. He knew when he had been played; the Zeeks had deliberately leaked Delaz's invasion force to the Bacchus listening post, knowing that Wakkein himself would move to Jericho's defense in response. The only thing they had altered, at least from what he could tell, was the date of the attack, making it appear Delaz's force would arrive much later than in actuality.

That in itself bothered Wakkein for some reason. While it was obvious the Zeeks had wanted him in Jericho, the main questioned remained: why? Sure, he was an Admiral and the commander of Star Force's Second Fleet, making him a target of interest for Zeon, but why did they go to the trouble of luring him out for a fight? Surely Delaz wasn't a man, or more precisely a Zeek, to go to all this trouble just for one specific enemy. If that were the case, and Jericho II remained the prize as Wakkein and Star Force Intelligence had originally assessed, then why bother calling him out at all? Wouldn't the Zeeks have had an easier time conquering Jericho II _without_ him and his Second Fleet detachment there?

Beside those, there was an additional question that Wakkein couldn't help but wonder: where exactly had the alert on Delaz's true arrival time come from? Judging by how the alert had come straight from Star Force Command, Wakkein assumed it originated from Mayfly, the Federation's top agent within Zeon. So high up in fact, that the rumors claimed he/she reported directly to Fleet Admiral Revil himself, and that only he and President Jamitov were aware of his/her true identity. If that were the case, it certainly didn't make Wakkein any more comfortable; the fact Mayfly had risked his/her cover to send a last minute alert out only meant that this was the real deal. That is, unless the Zeon had already caught onto Mayfly and were now using him/her to send a false message. But why would they do that when they already fooled him the first time?

Of course, all of those questions and inquiries could be figured out _afterward_. Right now, what mattered most to Wakkein was that incoming Zeon fleet and the proverbial hell on wheels, to borrow one more phrase from eras past, they were bringing with them. Best case scenario would be that his initial strategy would remain effective; while their fleets battled it out, Delaz, being the good little Zeek he was, would send his landing ships forward through the melee in an attempt to reach the surface, from which Wakkein would call up his second wave and slaughter them before they even made it into Jericho II's thermosphere. Any escort MS would also be subsequently cut down by the planetary defense batteries if not the second force's AA weapons.

And the worst case scenario? Delaz's force proves to be larger than anticipated, leaving Wakkein no choice but to abandon Jericho II, in which case he and his ships would be forced to fight their way past the Zeeks in order to reach any safe warp launch points. Obviously, Wakkein hoped for the best.

"Sir, Group One is prepared to move out." the _Magellan_'s captain informed him, snapping the Admiral out of his thoughts.

Wakkein nodded approvingly at that. "Very well. Launch immediately." he ordered.

A moment later, Wakkein watched as the _Magellan_ and the other ships of Group One began to rise from their resting places, before angling upward toward space.

* * *

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal  
**_**Jericho II, Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379  
**  
"There they go." Mirai commented as she watched the first group of Admiral Wakkein's taskforce lift off from the starport and ascend into the sky. Though she put forth an objective front, one could still sense traces of bitterness in her voice.

Taking his own chair, Bright also watched the fleet, led by the mighty battlecruiser _Magellan_, move out. One after another the ships took to the sky and disappeared into the sky, their forms growing smaller and smaller until they vanished altogether. Mirroring Mirai's bitterness, Bright vehemently wished he were among those going up first; better to dive into combat from the beginning as opposed to remain on planet and vulnerable. But that wasn't his call to make, and it was only a minor nuisance anyway.

The _Ark Royal_ crew were going through pre-launch procedures now, alongside every other ship in the fleet; though she would not be part of the first wave, Bright still wanted the _Ark Royal_ ready to launch at a moment's notice, specifically when Wakkein's order came through. If nothing else, he would focus on performing his role in Jericho's defense, no matter how miniscule or perceptively insignificant it would be, and from there surviving to continue on their original mission to Earth. Everything else, including his standing within Star Force's hierarchy, was of secondary concern.

That being, as he sat back on his command chair, watching as his crew worked, he couldn't help but feel that there was something off with the Zeon attack. While it was obvious, even from Bright's lower ranked perspective, that Delaz had intentionally leaked a false time of arrival for his invasion force, exactly what kind of advantage could he have gained from it? Strategies that usually employed those types of tactics were meant to be sneak attacks, but Bright couldn't see Delaz pulling something like that off successfully, early warning aside; even if the Zeon had remained undetected until they were orbiting Jericho II, the fact was Wakkein was well within position to respond the moment they appeared. Surely Delaz would have recognized that. Surely there had to be more than what was shown.

Out of instinct he turned to ask Sleggar his opinion, only to remember that the CAG wasn't present on the bridge; instead, he was currently suiting up with the rest of his pilots, ensuring that they would be ready to launch the moment the _Ark Royal_ entered battle. That was rather frustrating, as Sleggar was usually the one Bright shared his inner most doubts with, as both had served on the _Ark Royal_ since her commissioning. In that regard, Bright thought about turning the question toward Mirai; after all, she was his Executive Officer, or "Number One" as Sleggar liked to refer to her as, whatever that was supposed to mean. However, he decided against it; at the moment he needed her to remain concentrated on her duties, and sharing his doubts with her would likely throw her off.

"Sir?" Mirai's voice suddenly pierced his thoughts, bringing him back to reality.

Bright shook his head. "It's nothing." he stated plainly, before fixing his captain's hat, which he had been holding on his lap, onto his head. "Status."

Mirai nodded, deciding not to push the subject. "All checks complete. We can launch at any time, though obviously we'll need Jericho Control to give the final signal."

"Good." Bright summarized as he looked over his crew. Though he couldn't see their faces, as they were all fixed on their respective stations, he could tell they were ready for battle. _And Sleggar should be getting his pilots into their suits now..._

* * *

Now fully dressed in his white pilot suit, Amuro settled into the cockpit of _Unit Alpha_, the access hatch closing in front of him. A few moments later, the cockpit instruments and the panoramic monitor lit up in their respective patterns, the latter giving Amuro a whole view of the hangar interior, which in itself was a hive of activity as technicians and mechanics went about their work of preparing the _Ark Royal_'smobile suit forces for battle. A few of them, Astonaige included, were even grouped around his _Gundam_, checking it over for any possible technical issues that may hinder it in the coming fight.

As for himself, Amuro was as ready for battle as he would ever be. Though Fraw had initially been reluctant, she had eventually cleared him for combat duty after some convincing and a rushed physical check up. The fact that Amuro himself had _wanted_ to join the fight had a strong effect on that; after all, only a few days ago he had been adamant about not taking part in active combat, emphasizing his status as a test pilot. It was uncharacteristic of him, but Amuro had his reasons; he still remembered the fates of Fraw's parents during the Battle of Shangri-La, and he knew many more would end up like them if the Zeon invaded Jericho II. A few days ago he only had his mothership, a Star Force fleetcarrier manned by combat personnel, to defend against a small Zeon taskforce; now he would be defending a whole world, one full of innocent life, against a full Zeon fleet. In that sense, it would have been selfish, even by Amuro's standards, if he had chosen to sit this one out.

And so there he was, suited up and ready for battle. Sure, he was on Ready Five status with the rest of the _Ark Royal_'s contingent, but there was no helping that as the invasion was imminent. If nothing else it gave him time to sit back and think about things. That was something he needed, given the vision that he had received during the parade; the same vision that he had held upon arriving to Jericho II in the first place.

_Just what the hell was that light?_ he thought as he replayed the vision from memory. Every time he saw it there, he felt he was missing something crucial; a key point that would make all the difference in the world. What he did know, however, is that both times the vision had come on, it generated the same feeling upon Amuro as when he had detected Char's trap at Shangri-La, the one where he attempted to lure the three _Gundams_ into the fire of that red battlecruiser. It was also the same feeling from when Amuro had detected Char's taskforce in X-145. All that taken in, whatever the vision meant to foretell, it was entirely relevant.

Again he replayed the image in his head. A white beam of light, firing down onto the planet. At first he figured it was a beam cannon shot, likely one fired from a Zeon ship commencing an orbital bombardment; that in itself was highly discouraging, even though he knew a few Zeek ships were due to get close enough. However, when analyzed the beam in his mind, he felt that it was somehow more powerful than a beam cannon shot. _Far_ more powerful in fact, as well as much larger.

And then all at once, he felt it come over him again. He saw the Zeon fleet emerge into the system, where they faced Jericho II and its Federation defenders. Only this time, he saw something else amongst the enemy force's number; something large and ominous, its front opened up in a gaping maw. And in that maw, he saw energy collect, swirl and converge toward its center, until it was all dispersed in one shot. And as Amuro "watched" in horror as that shot lanced out toward him, blanketing everything over with light...

* * *

**Zeon **_**Scharnhorst**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Peer Gynt**_**  
Jericho System, Outer Rim  
****July 1, GC 379**

"We have entered the Jericho System, Admiral." the _Peer Gynt_'s captain said, with no shortage of excitement evident in his voice as Jericho II lined up on the main monitor. That excitement was matched by the rest of the bridge crew, as well as Commander Gato who was still on the bridge. At least until the following report came up.

"I'm detecting numerous Star Force ships arrayed around the second planet, defense screen formation." the sensor operator stated with apparent shock, obviously disbelieving his own instruments.

"What?" the captain exclaimed in confusion, his previous jubilation quickly replaced with confusion.

"Magnify." Delaz ordered immediately, the only one on the bridge who remained non-incredulous.

Upon that, the bridge monitor flickered and centered upon a specific area in front of Jericho II. Sure enough, there was an entire fleet of Star Force ships, all perfectly arrayed and aligned in a defense screen above Jericho, one that directly faced the oncoming Zeon taskforce. The formation itself was perfect; no matter what direction or course Delaz may have taken, and no matter how close he got to the planet under cloak, the fleet was entirely capable of breaking up and directly intercepting his ships. And knowing Wakkein, he likely had more upon Jericho II itself, ready to meet Delaz's forces should they break through the atmosphere.

Delaz's eyes furrowed as he looked on the formation. "Is Wakkein's flagship within that formation?" he inquired to the operator.

After a few moments, the operator brought up the requested information on the main monitor, which in turn centered around a single _Actium_-class battlecruiser. "Confirmed. Enemy command ship identified as the _Magellan_."

Needless to say, everyone, including Gato, had been taken off guard by this turn of events. "How did they find out?" the ace pilot let out to no one in particular. He then turned to Delaz. "Could the Feddies have detected us somehow?"

Delaz shook his head. "Not likely. The deception was precise, and the Federation has yet to counter our cloaking devices." he estimated aloud, soon arriving to a disturbing conclusion. "If I had to guess, I would say our _true_ arrival time was leaked to them."

That explanation ran like a cold shock amongst the _Peer Gynt_'s bridge as it meant one of two things, or even both. The first possibility was that the Federation had agents within Zeon's High Command, ones either in key positions or close enough that they could see past Delaz's deception, yet secure enough that they could report it back to their Star Force masters without detection. The second possibility was even more disheartening: Zeon had turncoats within its own forces who, as opposed to the surviving Daikunists and other race traitors, had chosen to remain aligned with the Empire and provide aid and support to the Federation from within. In another lifetime both Delaz would have believed either impossible; once again however, the war had altered their perspective on things.

"How is that even _possible_?" Gato asked, completely stunned by the mere thought of it. Once more, it was apparent where his perspective laid compared to Delaz's.

"That is something for the ISD to figure out." Delaz stated coldly, referring to the Imperial Security Directorate, Zeon's secret police and intelligence arm. He had no doubts that they, of all people, would be able to gleam the truth to this enigma, but that wasn't for him to dwell upon at this time. Their work remained in front of them, as he reminded his subordinates. "Regardless of these events, our mission remains unaffected and our victory assured. However Wakkein may have learned of our approach, he has still miscalculated." he then smiled coldly. "And he will pay for it, _dearly_."

Upon that, the predatory anticipation earlier exhibited by the _Peer Gynt_'s bridge personnel, which in itself was more akin in nature to a pack of wolves stocking a herd as opposed to human beings, made its grand return. Indeed, Star Force's defense was perfect. It would surely deflect or intercept anything, whether be it capital ship, landing shuttle or mobile suit, that the Zeon would move toward the planet, in turn either neutralizing any invasion up front or destroying enough of the fleet's numbers that full occupation would be impossible. That being said, in establishing their defense, Wakkein and his fellow lowborn had overlooked one crucial detail.

Zeon needed to deny Jericho II to the Feddies. Zeon _didn't_ need to invade Jericho II to fulfill that purpose.

"All ships, commence operation!" Delaz ordered through his personal command channel, causing the bridge crew to shift back to work. "Move into battle formation and standby to decloak. We will engage the enemy fleet once the primary objective is fulfilled."

He then spoke toward Gato, who remained standing next to him. "It seems we will be dealing with Wakkein in the 'traditional manner', Commander." he stated plainly. "I trust you are not disappointed."

The cruel smile that flashed along Gato's lips was all the answer he needed. As such, Delaz turned back and gave the ultimate order. "Prepare the solar ray to fire."

* * *

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal  
**_**Jericho II, Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

Sleggar had almost dozed off when a broadband communications window opened, revealing the frantic image of Amuro Ray. _"We have to get out of here!"_ he called out, voice in pure panic. _"We have to get off this planet, now!"_

_The hell!?_ Sleggar thought as he snapped back to the present. "Shrike Three, stay off the comlink...!"

_"This planet...this entire world...will be destroyed a storm of light! Billions will die!"_ Amuro continued, sounding more and more as if he were in a trance. _"That light...it is a light of hatred!"_ he then continued on. _"We have to leave! Before it's too late!"_

"Shrike Three, have you gone insane!?" Shiro commented, his inquiry followed upon by the rest of Shrike Squadron, and from there, the rest of the 13th Carrier Assault Group. In a few short moments, the entire radio was filled with chatter, punctuated by Amuro's frantic rants.

"All pilots, you are to stay off the comlink until combat operations!" the sound of Kikka's voice soon stated over the various radio calls, silencing several of them. However, that was still not enough to silence Amuro, who continued to call out aimlessly in warning, like a man possessed.

Sleggar's immediate instinct was to call for Amuro's removal from _Unit Alpha_'s cockpit, as the strain had clearly gotten to him; in fact, he had just opened his mouth to give the command when something stopped him. He remembered the previous two fights Amuro had taken part in, and how he had been able to foresee a sneak attack in the first one as well as isolate the Zeon's position in the second; both times he had been the only one to see either coming, such that had he not been in either, Sleggar and his compatriot(s) would have been caught in an ambush both times. As such, much to Sleggar's growing dread, he began to wonder if Amuro had again foreseen something with the coming invasion.

_A 'light of hatred'... Just what in hell is...?_ Sleggar started to think, his mind coming up with several possibilities. And then, not unlike a rising winter sun, cold realization dawned on him as the most likely answer stuck out in his mind.

"It can't be...!" he murmured in pure horror, his eyes widening and skin blanching. He quickly opened a private channel to _Unit Gamma_. "Sayla!"

"I'm already on it!" Sayla responded. Unlike Sleggar, she had realized what was happening the moment Amuro shouted his first warnings, and so was now "looking up" into space with her special senses.

In a near instant, she moved passed the various presences of Wakkein's first battle group and extended further, until she was nearly at the edge of the Jericho System itself. It was there that she immediately detected Delaz's fleet, cloaked and ready for battle. While the Zeon cloaking device was effective in bending rays of light and sensor waves, it could not block out her special senses, as she could "see" the cloaking fields themselves, as well as the ships and various human presences underneath them.

Right away she knew something was wrong. The Zeon fleet was now in battle formation, but it wasn't advancing; rather, they remained stationary, as if waiting for something. Another thing she noticed was that they were arrayed around a certain area, with Delaz's flagship at the "top" of the formation and the rest spread out evenly, with the central area given a widen birth. And finally, upon turning her attention to that central area, she detected another cloaking field, one far larger than the ships that surrounded it; by standard measurements, the field was over eight kilometers long and cylinder shaped, as if it were covering a space colony. From there, it was only a matter of diving deeper.

Thus, upon looking past the field and seeing the object underneath, her eyes widened in the same manner as Sleggar's had. _No!_

With great speed she opened a comlink to the bridge.

* * *

Bright was just moving to call the hangar deck and command the techs to remove Lieutenant Amuro from _Unit Alpha_, perhaps with armed security support, when a second comlink opened up from _Unit Gamma_. A moment later, Lieutenant Sayla began speaking where Amuro had left off.

"Shrike Two to bridge." Sayla called out, her voice far more even than Amuro's but still holding a certain level of anxiety. "In approximately three minutes, the Zeon fleet intends to unleash a solar ray attack upon Jericho II! Repeat, the Zeon are going to attack with a solar ray!"

"God in Heaven...!" someone on the bridge murmured as everyone present froze at their stations. Even Bright and Mirai couldn't keep themselves from gaping as they realized the implications of that.

"If we are to survive, then we need to launch, _now_!" Sayla staunchly finalized, her tone completely serious and assured of what she spoke of.

Yet again Bright opened his mouth, this time to question just how Sayla could have come across such information, only for a _third_ comlink to open, this time showing the image of a completely frantic Sleggar. "Bright, for once don't ask any questions and just do what the lady said!" he stated urgently. "If we're not off planet in three minutes, we're dead!"

Even so, Bright remained skeptical. "And just how did this...?"

_**"DON'T ARGUE WITH ME!"**_ Sleggar shouted back, knowing all too well how crucial the next few moments were._** "JUST GET US OUT OF HERE!"**_

Immediately all eyes turned to toward Bright, waiting for orders. Even Mirai looked to Bright to give the command; having known Sleggar longer than most of the crew, she knew when he was truly serious about something, and more so when he felt it was down to life or death. This was one of those times, and she knew better than to question him.

And as for Bright himself, it wasn't Amuro and Sayla's warnings, nor Sleggar's reinforcing them, that convinced him to act. Instead, it was certain realization on his own part, going back to his earlier doubts. With that one last crucial piece fitted in, a complete picture now appeared in his mind; he now knew, as late as it was, what Delaz's true intentions had been all along. And with that realization, he also now knew his ship was well upon ground zero.

_"Emergency launch!"_ Bright declared, his crew immediately snapping into action, emergency alarm sounding in the background. "Retract all moorings and lift off! All power to engines once clear!"

Frantically Katz inputted the commands into his station. Despite that however, the helm remained locked into place. "Moorings won't retract!" he called out in growing fear.

"Control won't give us clearance to launch!" Kikka explained from her station, acting just as frantic. "They demand we wait until word from the flagship!"

_To hell with them!_ Mirai thought as she turned toward the gunnery station. "Letz!"

"On it!" Letz responded as he activated the _Ark Royal_'s weapon systems. Outside, several of the beam phalanx turrets on the _Ark Royal_'s sides, meant for close-in defense against everything from ships and mobile suits, twisted around until they angled upon the docking clamps and docking extensions that held the might carrier in place. Once they were perfectly angled, they opened fired, sending magenta beams into their targets, obliterating them in single bursts.

Now free, the _Ark Royal_'s main engines engaged and gently lifted the ship off the ground, from which Katz set her toward the sky. By now Jericho Control was in complete fury, such that Bright himself could hear the tower controller's angry voice from Kikka's now discarded headset, which she was forced to remove to keep from going deaf. For the briefest of moments, he felt tempted to warn Control of what was going on, but he gravely knew better; even if they did know the truth, there was nothing they could do now.

Soon enough, the _Ark Royal_'s eight main thrusters ignited, sending the massive carrier rocketing into the sky at a speed well above what was necessary for breaking orbit. Within the ascending, tremoring vessel, more than one member of the crew silently prayed for God to see them through. Bright, for whatever dispositions of faith he might have held, was among them. As was Mirai.

* * *

**Federation **_**Actium**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Magellan  
**_**Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

"Sir..." the comm. officer stated, blinking in disbelief as he gave the report. "Jericho Control reports the _Ark Royal_ has taken off without authorization. They claim that she blasted her way out of dock."

Instantly overtaken with rage, Wakkein nearly slammed his fist onto his chair panel. He should have known Bright Noa would cut and run in the face of the enemy, regardless of the Admiral's threats. _Damn you Noa! I'll have your head when this is over!_

However, before he could inquire the _Ark Royal_'s current status, and much more deploy some cruisers to intercept her, his sensor operator spoke up as his instruments beeped in warning. "Zeon fleet decloaking! Distance fifteen thousand, orange eleven mark eighteen alpha!"

Wakkein immediately settled himself back. "So it begins..." he stated, readying himself for the coming battle; he would deal with the _Ark Royal_ and her treacherous commander later. "All ships advance, combat speed!"

A moment later, the _Magellan_'s main engines went to full power, propelling her forward toward the Zeon fleet's position, while the rest of the battle group were quick to follow around her. However, it wasn't long before the sensor operator noticed something wrong. "Sir, the Zeon fleet is remaining stationary. Repeat, they're not advancing."

"What?" Wakkein looked up with a perturbing feeling, an expression that was matched by the _Magellan_'s captain and several others of the bridge crew. Without anyone speaking up, the same question ran between all of them: why would Delaz keep his ships back now, when his target was right in front of him?

Unfortunately, they would learn the answer to that question far too late. "I'm picking up something else decloaking from within their formation." the sensor operator followed up with, now with full on confusion. "Something _big_."

"Magnify!" Wakkein ordered instantly. A second later, a new window appeared on the main monitor, displaying the area of space where the object had been reported. The entire bridge crew watched on in growing horror as the cloak slowly faded away, revealing the source underneath.

At first glance, one would have thought the object as an O'Neill Island-type space colony, as it was large, measuring several kilometers in length and diameter, as well as being cylinder shape. However, it soon became obvious that the object wasn't a space colony, with its Zeon green hull and rear mounted fins heat dispersion fins quickly indicating it as something far more sinister. That feeling was finalized when the object completely uncloaked, revealing its great maw to the bewildered Federation fleet, which soon began to glow from its center.

"Oh my god...!" the _Magellan_'s captain gasped, symbolizing the reaction of every officer and crewmen within the battle group. A natural reaction for those staring into the gathering light of a solar ray.

And it wasn't hard to guess what its target was. "Open fire, _now_!" Wakkein bellowed to both the gunnery and the communication stations.

The gunnery officer, already in tears knowing what was about to happen, could only shake his head hopelessly. "It's well out of range, Admiral!"

The feeling of hopelessness was mirrored in Wakkein's eyes as he turned back toward the ray. Even with his battle group moving at full speed, he knew he would never make it into range on time. And even if he did, it would still take additional time for the barrages to have effect. As such, there was only one order he could give now. "All ships take evasive action!" he commanded before bracing.

Moments later, after reaching full power, the solar ray unleashed a vast column of light into the void. By some miracle none of Wakkein's ships were caught in its wake, but then, they were never the intended target. In a span of milliseconds, the beam streaked across space and reached out to Jericho II, where it instantly pierced through the planet's crust and made its way down through its inner layers. Once the core itself was breached, the ray let out an additional burst of energy into its beam, which traveled all the way down to Jericho II's center in an instant. From this, an unstoppable chain reaction occurred and erupted throughout the entire planet, tearing it apart from the inside out.

The final result was very much apparent to both the horrified Star Force personnel and their gleaming Zeon adversaries. In a spectacular and terrifying finale, Jericho II exploded in a multitude of molten fragments that flew out in every possible vector.

* * *

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal  
**_**Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

The _Ark Royal_ had just made her way Jericho II's gravity well when the solar ray fired. As a result, while she managed to avoid destruction, the following shockwave was more than enough to knock her off balance. In an instant, the ship was thrown forward, causing control panels to spark and explode, lights and screens to flicker and shatter, and crewmen who weren't properly restrained to be thrown about.

Bright and Mirai were both thrown out of their respective chairs to the bridge floor, while Katz was nearly tossed into the forward monitor, but managed to maintain his seat through gripping the helm. Letz and Kikka also ended up being sent across the floor, while Ryu's control panel exploded beside him, showering him with sparks and shrapnel. Several others on the bridge had ended up in similar positions, as well as suffered similar wounds.

The shockwave had held an even worse effect on the hangar decks, as the mechanics and technicians that had been doing last minute work upon the mobile suits had only been given a moment's notice to reach safety before launch. As a result, several of them were grievously injured either through being thrown across the deck themselves or from having random objects collide onto them. The opposite was true for the mobile suit pilots, who were all safely strapped into their cockpit seats; the worst they had to endure was being tossed about in a similar manner to what they usually experienced in battle.

Even so, not all of the pilots were fortunate, as Sleggar soon found out. Just as he managed to gain anchorage from the continuing shock, he looked out upon his cockpit monitor, from which he realized he had left the comm. windows to _Unit Alpha_ and _Unit Gamma_ open. And what he saw within absolutely terrified him. _"Amuro! Sayla!"_

For either of the _Gundam_ pilots, it was as if they stood upon the brink of Hell itself. While their physical ears picked up Sleggar's calls to them, neither Amuro nor Sayla were able to comprehend his words or voice, as their minds were completely flooded with the final screams and cries of Jericho II's population. Though their physical bodies were destroyed in an instant, their souls lingered just long enough for either of the two to pick up on them; billions upon billions of men, women and children cried out in terror within a field of light, their final moments accompanied by a mixture of great fear, intense heat and seemingly unending pain.

It was an absolute nightmare for Amuro, a man who had never been accustomed to human feeling and emotion. Alongside the screaming, he felt those billions reaching out to him in their last moments, as if a multitude of arms were grasping onto his body, pulling him apart. Acting instinctively he attempted to cover himself, tried to raise mental walls in order to block them out, but they managed to break through regardless and he withed at their collective touch. It wasn't long before he himself let out a scream, both in his mind and in the physical world.

On her end, Sayla experienced the exact same as her teammate. However, rather than shield against them, she found herself desperately reaching back toward the hands, trying in vain to grasp and hold onto them, as if she herself could keep them anchored to existence. Unfortunately it was completely futile; one after another, the hands disappeared into the light, their owners passing on into the abyss. She herself cried out to them, pleaded to them not to die, and from there pleaded to Death itself not to claim them. Yet in spite of the power behind her voice, an authority that had passed down through an entire lineage of emperors and empresses, even she could not sway Death from fulfilling its purpose.

And then, as the last of the screams and the hands died away, a single, god-like voice spoke out from the light. _"Thus is the fate of all enemies of Zeon."_

Upon that declaration, Sayla snapped back into the present, her eyes clouded with tears and whole being emanating vengeful wrath. _**"DELAZ!"**_

* * *

**Zeon **_**Scharnhorst**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Peer Gynt**_**  
Jericho System, Outer Rim  
****July 1, GC 379**  
**  
**Not unlike a great artist inspecting his newly completed work, Delaz sat back and looked upon the sight before him with satisfaction. With a single flash of light, Jericho II, and the Federation garrison upon its surface, were no more; only a mass of dust clouds and asteroids remained where the planet had once orbited. Alongside that, the Feddies had lost their main base in this sector, making it quite vulnerable for a full Zeon assault and following occupation. All of that, and the battle, or more precisely slaughter as Gato had observed, was only ten minutes in.

Around him, the _Peer Gynt_'s bridge crew, as well as Gato, were even more visibly elated; Delaz didn't need to turn and look to see that they all had viciously dominant grins on their faces. No matter what their role on the ship was, they all knew that they had done their Race and their Emperor proud today. Besides everything that Delaz had highlighted on, they had also wiped away billions of lowborn vermin from the galaxy, thereby taking another step toward the Ascension that Emperor Gihren had spoken of. Sure, there were still more, both Federation and lowborn in general, out there, but that didn't mean they couldn't celebrate their victory here, as well as their pride in their Admiral over it.

And as a bonus, the thrill of full battle would not be denied to them, even if against an otherwise inferior opponent. Wakkein's fleet remained in front of them, and from the sensor scans, Delaz could see that his fleet outnumbered them by a fair margin; no doubt Wakkein had left a sizeable portion of his forces on Jericho II to intercept any Zeon landing ships and mobile suits. An apt strategy, but one that had been made under the belief that Delaz intended to invade Jericho. No doubt Wakkein was still bashing his head in over that miscalculation.

_To his benefit, he won't feel that humiliation for much longer._ Delaz thought, as he started to give the command for all ships to advance.

However, just before Delaz could give the order, his sensor operator started up again. "Sir, I'm detecting a signal from just outside the planet's former orbit." he said, looking rather perplexed. "It looks like a ship got out in time."

"Oh?" Gato let out with amusement, just as Delaz turned to look over as well. So one of the Fedscum managed to get off Jericho II just so it could be destroyed in space. Even so, Delaz was somewhat curious to see what kind of ship it was.

"Identifying now..." the operator said as the data came in, only to look on in dreadful shock as the it was fully processed. "I don't believe it..." he murmured, before turning toward the main monitor. _"It's a Trojan Horse!"_

That feeling soon spread across the bridge as the monitor established a magnification upon the ship in question, followed by a data window that displayed the class schematic. Indeed, the winged equine form was a dead match for the Federation's vaunted _Midway_-class fleetcarrier. Even Delaz couldn't keep the surprise off his face.

"Where in Zedan's Shadow did _that_ come from!?" Gato exclaimed, suddenly realizing the Feddies were going to be harder to kill. As a mobile suit pilot, he knew the capabilities of a _Midway_ all too well.

Delaz also knew. In fact, he had seen firsthand how effectively a _Midway_ could control a mobile suit contingent; their unique Combat Direction Centers allowed them to take command of up to hundreds if not thousands of mobile suits a time, and though they couldn't make up for the _Guncannon_'s lacking performance, they could certainly organize them into an effective battle force. The fact Zeon commanders had long been directed to destroy them on sight was a testament to their power, as well as their presence in the war up to this point.

And now he was about to face such a monster once more in battle. At the same time however, he also wanted to know where this particular ship had come from; intelligence had claimed there were no _Midways_ in Wakkein's Second Fleet. That in itself led to a multitude of conclusions, and not just Zeon's intelligence apparatus missing a key detail, _again_. Unfortunately, Delaz didn't have time to consider them, and they wouldn't have changed the fact he now had a different battle to fight.

Even so, if only for sheer curiosity, he asked. "Can you give me a designation?"

"Coming in Admiral." the operator reported as even more data was streamed. "EFS _Ark Royal_, hull classification CV-13."

Now Gato was completely astounded, as he more than recognized the name. "Impossible!" he nearly shouted. "That ship was destroyed over a year ago at Arcturus! Captain Char himself delivered the finishing blow!"

"Apparently not. And she seems to be in perfect working order." Delaz muttered in distaste, anger quietly surging behind his eyes. Not only did Wakkein have a Trojan Horse in his fleet, but one that had long been believed sunk; that in itself meant the Feddies still had five _Midways_ within their ranks as opposed to _four_. Yet another multitude of conclusions to follow, alongside a mental note to have the responsible intelligence officials executed once he returned to Zeon. "Regardless of who she is, we will sink her with the rest of Wakkein's fleet."

He then looked up at Gato with a serious gaze. "That being said Commander, I suggest you return to your _Zaku_ now."

"Sir." Gato saluted, then turned away and moved toward the turbolift.

With that, Delaz again settled back into his chair and prepared himself. "All ships advance and launch mobile suits!" he called out to the rest of the fleet. "Priority targets are the flagship and all heavy craft! They are to be destroyed upon opportunity!"

* * *

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal  
**_**Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

"Damage report!" Bright shouted as he slowly pulled himself to his feet, his head already throbbing from pain. As he finally got up and placed his cap back on, he reached down and lifted Mirai off the floor as well.

"Coming in now!" Ryu said after he clamored over to a different post, the left side of his face covered with cuts and burns. It was a miracle that no grievous damage had been done to him, as he was literally right beside the panel when it exploded. But then, the massively built Terran always did pride himself on his luck.

A moment later, the main monitor came to display ship status. Bright was just able to spare a passing glance at it as he got back to his chair, but from what he saw, his ship hadn't suffered any real damage. However, any relief he felt upon that was soon drowned out at what happened next.

Kikka, who hadn't suffered any wounds herself, was also at her post before the others. As such, she was the first to see it. "Captain...!" she was just barely able to let out as tears began to stream from her eyes.

By that point, Bright and Mirai had both made it back to their respective chairs. A good thing, because if they hadn't been sitting down when they looked up to what Kikka saw on the main monitor, they would have definitely fallen back onto the floor. Same with the rest of the bridge crew, who all looked on in a mixture of shock, horror and sorrow.

Jericho II was gone. Nothing more than an expanding, multicolored dust cloud and darting fragments now. And with it five billion civilians and the remaining forces in Wakkein's contingent had also met their untimely destruction. Five billion _innocents_ and the very soldiers that had been tasked to protecting them, all victims of the war's complete disregard for life.

Even Bright could not keep himself from closing his eyes and looking down, while Mirai's eyes also turned cloudy, as did several others on the bridge. They all should have been used to it; after all, countless numbers of innocent and soldier alike had died in the previous years since the war had begun, and many more would die before it would end. Bright himself had seen much of it, from the destruction of the _Hood_ at the onset to battles like Arcturus and Riah and then the recent skirmish at Shangri-La.

Yet, upon looking at the remains of one such world and its inhabitants, who had been in the midst of life and celebration, even the most hardened amongst the _Ark Royal_'s crew could not help but shed a tear at all that was lost. Such as it was to be human.

Upon that outlook, the rational side of Bright's rational mind again brought up Delaz's strategy, reminding him exactly why the Zeeks had done this. Yes, most of it revolved around killing "lowborn" in the name of Zeon's "glory", but much to his disgust, there was still a tactically practical side to it.

First, as Wakkein had informed them before, Jericho II had been the only major hub in the sector, which made it a priority target for the Zeon. In that sense, the Zeon did not need to capture Jericho II to deny its value to the Federation, so long as it was effectively neutralized. That, and destroying the base outright also meant conserving resources and manpower that otherwise would have been needed for full occupation. Those same resources and troops, in turn, could be used to set up a new base, or multiple new bases, in more strategically sound systems, even more so ones that did not possess rebellious "lowborn" populations to contend with. Very methodical, which Zeon liked to pride themselves as.

Second, it also presented an opportunity in eliminating one of Star Force's command staff. By leaking their invasion as well as the identity of its commander, the Zeeks had intended to lure Wakkein, who fashioned himself a "Fighting Admiral" in the manner of William Halsey, Jr. and Raymond A. Spruance, into defending the planet personally. From there, it was all a matter of timing; the Zeon had arrived two days before their communicated ETA, and had it not been for an unforeseen last minute warning, they would have caught Wakkein and his forces still on-planet and unprepared. One solar ray attack later, and both the Commander of the Second Fleet and his fair sized contingent would have been Zeon's latest victims.

All that taken in Bright, couldn't help but see the brilliance in Delaz's plan. Just as he couldn't help but feel shamed for doing so.

That said however, it wasn't long before it all came back into focus. "Zeon fleet is advancing!" Oscar shouted as his monitor began beeping in warning. "Distance one million and closing!"

At that Bright opened his eyes, and death shown from behind them. _"All ahead full!"_ he shouted with more force than he had intended. "Bring us into formation and standby for anti-ship and anti-mobile suit combat!"

With that, the demeanor of the crew changed entirely. "Arm all cannons and phalanx! Load all missile tubes!" Mirai followed up from Bright, her voice retaining clear virulence. "Prepare to launch mobile suits!"

Suddenly, Kikka looked up again. "Captain, the _Magellan_ is hailing us!"

The next second, a new window appeared on the main monitor, displaying Admiral Wakkein himself. Compared to the commanding presence he had held before, Wakkein looked far more downtrodden now, as if he had been punched hard in the gut. A logical demeanor, considering he had lost both half his fleet and the planet he was supposed to have defended, all because of one _slight_ miscalculation. Even so, Bright remained attentive as the Admiral began to speak.

"So, you survived." Wakkein murmured, his voice firm but lacking in spirit. "It seems Fortune really does favor the bold, given that your ascent was in complete disregard of my orders. But that doesn't matter now."

He then looked up, past Bright toward the Zeon fleet ahead. "Now we stand at the precipice; nothing behind us, and only the enemy in front of us. We're outnumbered, outgunned and our principle weapon is completely outclassed. Even so, I'm going to attack." Rage suddenly entered into the Admiral's face. "By the fucking grace of God, I'm going to make those 'Highborn' bastards _pay_ for what they have done, such that Hell will be standing room only by the time this day is finished!"

He then looked back at Bright, square in the eye. "That is to say, I know what I'm going to do. The question is, what are _you_ going to do Bright?" he stated with an edge. "Are you going to run away again, like at Arcturus? Are you going to present your ass to the enemy, just as you did then?"

Without even looking over, Bright reached his right arm out and gestured toward Mirai, who was just beginning to rise from her chair. For all her professionalism, as well as the knowledge that it wasn't her place nor rank to do so, Mirai was very much ready to rip Wakkein a new one. After all that had happened, the son of a bitch had absolutely no right to speak from the high ground, on _anything_.

Truthfully, Bright wasn't far off from that himself. In fact, part of him wanted to twist the knife in Wakkein's gut further by reminding him that Jericho II was lost because of his inability to read the enemy's intentions. However, aside from the very idea being petty, there were far more important things than personal vindication. Five billion or so more important things, even in memory.

"This is _not_ Arcturus, Admiral." Bright stated firmly, holding his ground against his superior. "In that battle, the _Ark Royal_ had suffered heavy damage and was totally incapable of fighting further. To stay there was to resign my ship and my crew to certain and pointless death."

Ferocity soon entered Bright's eyes. "This time it's different. This time my ship remains capable of fighting, and I and my crew are ready to do what you just said and even more." he then added, if only for classical emphasis. _"Thus into the mouth of Hell, we six hundred ride."_

Bright didn't need to look around the bridge to see the responding expressions of his crew; he could feel their collective resolution against his skin, even though their gazes were all directed forward. Seeing that for himself, Wakkein, for whatever reservation he may have still held, gave Bright a nod of approval. "Move your ship into formation; I already have a spot set aside for you. And then have your CDC link with the mobile suit forces and organize them into an attack pattern."

He then let off a small but prominent smirk. "If nothing else, the Zeeks fear your ship Captain." he said with certain confidence. "Remind them why."

Bright nodded. "Any other orders, sir?"

"Just one, and I expect you to follow it." Wakkein said, again staring Bright straight in the eyes. _"Leave no survivors."_

Bright's eyes narrowed at that command. Any other time he would have refused the order. Any other time, he would have reminded Wakkein of Article 23 of the Mars Convention, which forbade all military personnel, Star Force or otherwise, from declaring no quarter. But not this time.

This time, the Zeon had it coming.

"Acknowledged." Bright simply replied with. Once more he didn't need to look around to see what his crew thought.

Again Wakkein nodded approvingly. "Good luck, and good hunting. _Magellan_ out." he said, before finally signing off.

"Enemy fleet at nine-hundred thousand, still closing!" Oscar shouted a moment later. "They're launching mobile suits!"

"Launch ours!" Bright ordered in turn. Moments later, mobile suits began to shoot out of the _Ark Royal_'s launch decks, rocketing into the distance one after the other. The other Federation ships were quick to follow that with their own MS forces.

* * *

Seconds after its launch, Amuro maneuvered _Unit Alpha_ and nestled it into formation alongside Sleggar's_ Unit_ _Beta_, while Sayla's _Unit Gamma_ remained on the opposite side. Not much longer than that, the _Guncannons_ of Shrike Squadron were in space as well, though the three _Gundams_ had to slow down considerably in order for them to catch up. Not long after _that_, additional MS from the _Ark Royal_ and the other Federation ships followed upon them. It now seemed as if all of the surrounding space were filled with _Guncannons_, with the three _Gundams_ at the spear tip.

Well before they appeared on his _Gundam_'s sensors and main monitor, he picked up the Zeon fleet; massive formations of green colored warships speeding to meet the Federals while launching _Zakus. _Their solar ray remained behind them, which Amuro could easily understand. solar rays were effective planet and asteroid killers, but they entirely inadequate in attacking smaller targets like warships and MS. With no more astral bodies to obliterate, the solar ray was little more than a lump in space, as well as a sitting target for whenever the Federals got passed the Zeon screen. Needless to say, _that_ was for last.

Already Amuro's special sense picked up on thoughts and emotions of the ship crews and _Zaku_ pilots; he could feel their collective anticipation for battle, their belief in their own superiorities as well as their celebration in triumph. Alongside that, he could "hear" their boasts, jeers and taunts, their degradations of those they had just killed alongside their claims that the Star Force group would soon be joining them. As far as they were concerned, they had already won; with Jericho II destroyed, the Federation fleet was of little consequence. They were going to fight the Feddies simply out of their desire to destroy and bring further glory to the "victory" they already held. So assured of their dominance that not one of them believed that the "lowborn" could even put up a struggle.

For Amuro, their jeers and taunts only fanned the fire in his mind and heart. Though the light had long faded and the Jerichoans were long dead, their screams and final acts were all fresh in his mind. Though he had tried shield himself from them, tried to push them away as well as pull himself to a place beyond their reach, he could not keep the flashes of their lives from embedding themselves into him. Billions upon billions, calling out to him in one last moment, inadvertently forcing their thoughts and memories upon him.

Men, women, children, families, friends, comrades. They had all died pushing their collective fear of death and their horror at the knowledge that their loved ones were dying with them into his one mind. They had all died with but one core thought between them: why? Why were they dying? Why had they been targeted in the beginning? Why did the Zeon feel so wronged by them that they had destroyed their world, their lives and their legacies? Why? Why? _Why?_

In that same frame of mind, he flashed back to Shangri-La, when the three _Zakus_ attacked. The one _Zaku_ pilot, who laughed and jeered as he slaughtered, who was so contemptuous of the lives around him that he turned his gun on a random neighborhood, and in one single burst struck the Bow family clinic. From that he remembered seeing Fraw there, beside her mother's corpse, crying into his chest as her mind wheeled from what had happened. She too had asked the same question within her subconscious. Why?

With their memories, along with what Amuro was feeling from the Zeon now, he realized the answer: because they were lowborn, and they deserved nothing less.

Upon that, Amuro felt the fire in his heart explode like a supernova, such that his very body rippled with fury. Yes, the screams remained echoing within him, but for the moment he didn't care; all he felt now was rage and the need to kill. He would kill the Zeon before him, because _they_ were monsters, and _they_ deserved nothing less.

Thus with a final roar toward the boisterous Zeon before him, Amuro gunned the throttle on _Unit Alpha_, shot out of the formation and directly toward his targets.

* * *

"Shrike Three stay in formation!" Sleggar called out as he heard Amuro's battle cry over the comm. and watched as _Unit Alpha_ took off like a comet. A _white_ one. "Shrike Three...!"

"Let him go." Sayla stated as _Unit Gamma_ drew closer, her voice disturbingly calm and even. "Nothing is going to stop him now."

At the sound of her voice alone, Sleggar felt a chill run down his spine. As visibly enraged as Amuro was, he doubted he could hold a bearing on the pure malice Sayla was now emanating. Indeed, out of every being in the universe the Zeeks could have angered, they had chosen the one woman that they should never had crossed here; a woman that already held great, incalculable fury toward them and their despot. He almost felt sorry for any _Zaku_ pilot that came into _Unit Gamma_'s sights.

_Almost_ being the keyword. Sayla and Amuro weren't the only pilots that were pissed off beyond all measure; they might have been entire forces unto themselves now, but that didn't mean the other Star Force pilots weren't feeling a sudden urge to search and destroy. He knew that many of the pilots in formation had been stationed on Jericho II for a long while; long enough to extend their relations beyond their comrades toward the locals. He could only imagine how many had lost friends and family to the solar ray, and how badly they wanted to make the Zeeks pay for their deaths in blood and fire. No doubt they would give no quarter, even if Wakkein hadn't issued the order.

For Sleggar himself, he had been fortunate not to have any long term relations on the planet; the people he was close to were either aboard the _Ark Royal_ or back on Earth in complete safety. He was even more fortunate not to have 'felt' their deaths the way Amuro and Sayla had; that either were up and willing to fight after they the destruction of an entire planet ran through their brains only reinforced the Commander's belief that they were beyond human. But despite all of that, Sleggar was no less infuriated than those around him; the slaughter of over five billion was not something he would let pass. As far as he was concerned, if it was green and/or had a mono-eye, it was going to die.

Soon enough, _Unit Alpha_ had reached the Zeon formation. All at once the Zeeks realized they were facing more than just a collection of _Guncannons_, such that the front formation instantly scattered and beam flashes became visible, alongside following explosions. Sleggar smirked at that; already the Zeon were rattled, and the main force hadn't even reached them yet. So much the better.

From that, Sleggar tapped his main monitor and accessed the _special_ data he had uploaded into _Unit Beta_ before. After browsing through a large selection of names, he settled on one labeled "Rocks" and tapped it. A moment later, _Unit Beta_'s cockpit became filled with the sound of an electric guitar and keyboard riff, followed by the tapping of drums and additional instruments as well as a deep bass background voice. Despite all that was going on, Sleggar couldn't help but feel a tinge of pleasure as the track played out; though playing music during a battle, much less uploading music into one's mobile suit computer, wasn't exactly regulation, some fights just needed a background theme. In this regard, no curbstomp battle (and he knew it would be one) involving giant robots was complete without JAM Project.

"Shrike Leader to all units!" Sleggar called out over the general push. "Set up for mass barrage on my mark!"

Upon his command, the guns and missile pods of the _Guncannons_ folded out in unison. Alongside, _Unit Beta_ and _Unit Gamma_ both raised their hyper beam rifles. A moment later, Sleggar already had his first target painted and locked on; a single _Zaku_ at the front of the formation, one that held the telltale commander's fin. Sleggar wasn't sure if it was the lead Zeek, but it was obviously a higher up one regardless.

Moments later, his sensors indicated he was in firing range. And if he was in range, then so were the rest of the formation. "Enemy in range." Sleggar said, just as the song went into the final notes of its prelude. _"LET'S ROCK!"_

With that he depressed the trigger and launched a beam, which was instantly complimented by the rifle shot of _Unit Gamma_ and the cannon and missile fire from the rest. A moment later, the beam shot its way through the target _Zaku_ and obliterated it before it could raise its beam shield. Additional units fell from the barrage as well, but that only lasted for so long before the remaining _Zakus_ scattered like a cloud of green locusts and continued their advance. From there, the Zeeks moved into their own firing range, with the initial units firing beam bazookas, and then the rest fired their machine guns.

_"Haritsumeta shunkan ni niramiatta POWER to POWER...!"_ the speakers blared as Sleggar repeated Amuro's act and went full burn, sending _Unit Beta_ barreling through space at a speed that the _Zakus_ couldn't dream of matching, dodging the oncoming fire with ease. He returned fire in several bursts, destroying several more _Zakus_ as he shot into the Zeon mass, adding to the number that had just died and the ones Amuro had killed beforehand.

In response to his assault, a particularly daring _Zaku _team attempted to hem him in. Unfortunately for them however, Sleggar's machine was far more maneuverable, and he deftly spun _Unit Beta_ out of the feeble trap while firing his beam vulcans. The beam spray instantly tore through one of the _Zakus_ (which Sleggar assumed was the team leader) before it could raise its beam shield, blasting straight into the cockpit block. By some miracle the _Zaku_ didn't explode, but that hardly mattered as the pilot was obviously dead. The second _Zaku_ fired off a pair of missiles in response, but Sleggar simply deflected them with his left arm beam shield and returned fire with his beam rifle, obliterating the Zeon suit in yet another single shot kill.

As the third one moved to avenge its two comrades, Sleggar decided to have a little fun with this Zeek. As he dodged the machine gun bursts, Sleggar lanced a shot right through the _Zaku_'s machine gun, causing it to explode. It then attempted to fire its missiles, but Sleggar shot out both hip launchers before the projectiles could exit their tubes. With both its main weapon and its back up destroyed, the _Zaku_ moved to draw its beam axe, but Sleggar shot off the right arm before it could reach it, and then the opposite arm. He then blasted away its head, followed by its shoulders and finally its legs.

_Just a flesh wound._ Sleggar thought as he watched the remaining torso attempt to turn around and retreat. He finished it off with a shot through the back.

From there, Sleggar watched as more _Zakus_ emerged from the conflagration and approached him, raining beams at him from their machine guns and bazookas. Again he went into a full charge, banking around the collective fire with impunity, while scoring direct rifle hits upon his would be attackers. He managed to kill five of them before the rest scattered and attempted to envelope him. Once more however, the _Gundam_ was much faster than the Zeon mobile suits, and it was no great effort for Sleggar to shoot past the _Zakus_ before they could even take aim. A moment later, those same _Zakus_ were caught in a firestorm of beams as Shiro's Second Team moved in, shooting down the Zeon mobile suits with their beam cannons and rifles in a matter of seconds.

_"Yami wo tsuranuki hashiru hikari dare yori mo hayaku...!"_ the female singer sang in as Sleggar continued his assault. By this point the Zeon machines were keeping a fair distance from him, trying to rain fire upon him from different vectors. This didn't bother Sleggar in the least, as he continued sniping them, one after another, with pinpoint beam rifle shots. Unfortunately he didn't get all of them, and it nearly cost him; one _Zaku_, another one bearing a commander's head fin, managed to evade his killing shot and, in an expert display of maneuvering, flipped over him and move to strike him from behind. Sleggar responded by snapping his rifle arm back, so that the rifle was now aimed rearward over the _Gundam_'s shoulder. This time the Zeon pilot was caught entirely off guard, and one blast later, his _Zaku_ was nothing more than exploding debris.

From there, another _Zaku_ came charging in from the left, its beam axe drawn to strike. Without even thinking about it, Sleggar had the _Gundam_ reach out with its left arm, seize the _Zaku_'s axe arm, and then twist around to perform a zero-g judo throw. This sent the green mobile suit and its obviously surprised pilot sailing into another _Zaku_, which had the misfortune of flying right into its path. Before either could recover, Sleggar fired a rifle shot through both of them. That accomplished, he gunned his thrusters again and set after additional targets.

_"ROCK ALRIGHT! Dare yori mo oretachi ha toberu hazu... Eien no sora wo...!"_ JAM Project played on as Sleggar continued gunning down Zeon left and right, turning the space battle into a virtual shooting gallery. As it went on, more and more _Zakus_ turned and fled from his presence rather than engage him. _"__ROCK ALRIGHT! Jikuu sae... Tsukinukeru SPEED de... Moeagare SAGA!"_

By now, Sleggar was imagining the _Zaku_ pilots were pissing their normal suits, regardless of any superior bladder control their "highborn" genetics gave them, at the mere sight of him. Indeed, it seemed like they were now more hesitant toward engaging him. _"How does it feel you Zeek bastards!?"_ he bellowed as he continued his rampage. _"How does it feel to fight something BIGGER and MEANER than you!?"_

Yet another line of obliterated _Zakus_ emphasized his point.

* * *

Hurtling through the battlefield_,_ Sayla, having switched her rifle for her beam saber, was quick in cutting down three of the incoming _Zakus_ with impunity. The first two attempted to attack her with their machine guns, thinking that they could strike her down before she drew close, only for her to effortlessly dodge their fire and slash them apart. Upon seeing his comrades wiped out, the last one switched tactics and came at her with his beam axe; it made no difference however, as he too was cut down without hindrance. She sped on from there.

Fear. Yes fear was, slowly but surely, spreading amongst her enemy, such that she could practically feel it against her skin. She relished the feeling, alongside the change it indicated. Since the war began, the Zeon had instilled fear upon those she fought beside, their more advanced weaponry combined with their superior genetics making the Empire appear as a juggernaut to the weary fighters of the Federation. For a time that fear had made them all but invincible predators who stalked helpless lowborn prey, such that only the strongest and most daring amongst Star Force were willing to challenge them. But now it had all changed; against her wrath, they were the fearful and weary. They were the _prey_.

That fact was further clarified with her next kill. Just as she cleaved two more _Zakus_ into superheated halves, their remaining teammate just managed to catch the Valkyrie head sigil on _Unit Gamma_'s left shoulder; added with the _Gundam_'s crimson color scheme, it took but a short moment for the hapless Zeon pilot to realize who she was. For that, she allowed him to live just long enough to despairingly yell _"It's the Valkyrie of Riah!"_ out to his comrades, right before promptly impaling his mobile suit cockpit with her sword.

Upon that declaration, she felt fear ripple even further through the Zeon ranks. Now her enemies realized just how outmatched they were; alongside three new high performance machines with unknown capabilities, they were also dealing with an _ace_. Two of them, as it wasn't long before Sleggar was recognized as the Phoenix of Arcturus.

Even so, they kept coming. Two more _Zakus_ came streaking in, firing off their missiles as a distraction while they moved to flank her. In response, she let loose her vulcans and shot down the missiles, then twisted around as the first _Zaku_ came at her, slicing it across its back. The second attempted mimic her and cut at her exposed back, but again she evaded, turning out of the way as the axe came down. From there she reversed her saber and stabbed it from behind, left palm planted against the saber hilt for additional force, then kicking it away before it exploded. For a moment she wondered where the third of that team was, only to sense it come at her from the left; she deftly cut away its axe arm, and then finished it with a follow up slash.

Not long into the battle, several_ Guncannons_ arrived in her area and proceeded to slaughter several _Zakus_ with concentrated fire. As inferior as the _Guncannon_ was to the Zeon monstrosities, they were still effective killing machines in the right conditions, and it helped that the _Zakus_ were too distracted by her presence to maneuver effectively. Both the present _Stormers _and _Hellfires_ let loose a spray of beams and missiles, which took out more _Zakus_ and caused several others to scatter, which made them easy targets for the standard _Troopers_ and _Commanders_. Sayla herself slashed down several more _Zakus_ before proceeding onward, all in such a stylish manner that she felt the _Guncannon_ pilots were mesmerized by her display. Some even thought her combat style was more akin to dancing than just waving an energy sword around.

At the end of her latest onslaught, only one _Zaku_ remained. Its pilot, a rookie fresh out of the Imperial Guard Academy that lacked the internal strength of his comrades, immediately turned and ignited his thrusters to full power, flying back toward the Zeon fleet as if Mephistopheles Himself were chasing him. Sayla immediately sneered after him. After all that had happened, the whelp had no right to run away.

Thus, she withdrew her beam saber and went to full thruster power herself, easily shooting over the retreating _Zaku_. She then twisted around and, in a particularly brutal display, slammed her right hand beam gauntlet clear through the _Zaku_ cockpit block, such that the hand went straight through the _Zaku_ and out its back, leaving a gaping hole through the green mobile suit's torso. Its pilot didn't even have time to scream, with the last thing he saw being the _Gundam_'s fierce yellow eyes.

Unfortunately, she didn't have time to feel satisfaction over her kill, as she picked up a newcomer flying toward her; one whose resolve was _far_ from a rookie's. Withdrawing her hand, she immediately jumped back as a spray of beam machine gun fire rippled across where she had been, in turn striking the _Zaku_ corpse which exploded thereafter. At first she moved to redraw her beam saber, but she realized that the machine gun burst was far better aimed than her previous opponents, such that she would not be able to get close so easily. As such, she instead drew her hyper beam rifle back up and returned fire.

It was then that she saw her challenger for the first time: another _Zaku_ obviously, but at the same time something different. Rather than the standard green color tone, this one was painted in dark blue with a neon green torso, while a commander's fin stretched out from its head. As well, it seemed somewhat faster than the standard model; not as fast as her brother's unit, but one that easily indicated the pilot as an ace. And if the latter wasn't enough, she saw another indication when the enemy presented its beam shield projector: the sigil of a rose and crossed swords over a white escutcheon.

Recognition dawned on her as she identified both color scheme and insignia. _The Nightmare of Solomon!_

As if on cue, a comm. channel quickly opened, followed by a voice speaking out. One that possessed the deep metallic accent of Zeon. "Well, this is a surprise." Commander Anavel Gato spoke out with visible interest as he continued attacking. "I had heard reports that the Valkyrie of Riah had been sighted upon the field, but I did not initially believe them. Yet here you are, piloting a red mobile suit and fighting against me." he then added with a smirk. "Perhaps you will provide a fair challenge."

Sayla felt her teeth grit at that. "Amusing." she replied in a tone that was anything but. "After slaughtering five billion civilians that had no means of defending themselves nor escaping their planet's destruction, the Nightmare of Solomon wishes for a challenge. _Most_ amusing." she nearly managed to blast the machine gun out of the _Zaku_'s hand that time, but Gato managed to deflect the blow with his shield. "But then, I guess killing powerless civilians would make for a boring experience, especially for a 'true' warrior of Zeon like yourself."

Gato laughed at that. "On the contrary, I thoroughly enjoy watching lowborn peasants die their well deserved deaths." he stated as he continued firing. "While not as thrilling as combat, it is still worthwhile to see glory made unto Zeon."

Sayla felt her already palpable rage suddenly stir. "What glory is there in killing five billion powerless innocents!?" she growled in turn. "How can the death of an entire planet serve toward Zeon's betterment!?"

Gato sniffed. "A lowborn whore like you wouldn't understand." he stated condescendingly, as if he were explaining the concept to a lower lifeform, which in his mind she was. "In this war, there are no such thing as 'innocents'. There are only we Highborn who are set to establish dominion over the universe, and there are you Lowborn, who are set only for extermination. Only when both come to pass will humanity set upon the right course toward Ascension."

Sayla's eyes widened as the event her ancestors had envisioned and preached of for generations was spoken of here, in a corrupted and unrecognizable form. "The Ascension is for _all_ of Mankind to embrace, not just the highborn!" she shouted before she realized her words.

Gato was visibly surprised that time. "Intriguing, I did not know there were lowborn who had heard of what is to come."

Upon that, he switched from his beam machine gun over to his beam axes (his custom _Zaku_ carried two), and then charged at the red mobile suit. In turn, Sayla deflected his initial strikes with her beam shields, and then used the pause in between to redraw her beam saber and fight back. They exchanged slashes from there.

Gato only continued to speak on. "If you have heard the truth, then you know that it is your kind's fate to die away, so that only the chosen of Zeon may ascend."

As much as she had been infuriated when Jericho II was destroyed, Gato's words only served to ignite the fire in Sayla's heart further. "You fool! Those were _not_ the words of Markus von Daikun, nor those who followed him!" she nearly shouted in bloody murder, unleashing a flurry of precision sword strikes. "That is only the propaganda of a tyrant. One who believes himself to be following the footsteps of another tyrant!"

Gato only laughed at that as he deflected the Valkyrie's offense. "Again, a lowborn like you wouldn't understand." he continued to explain, before retaking the offensive with an overhead chop, which Sayla again deflected. "The Daikuns, as enlightened as they were, were only meant to deliver _one_ part of the vision." he said as he followed up with additional attacks with his axes, only for Sayla to yet again regain the offensive with a thrust. "It is only through Emperor Gihren that the vision is now complete, and that the whole is given."

"The only ascension Gihren has foreseen is his own!" Sayla retorted, not wanting to believe what her ears were telling her. It was one thing for Gihren to twist the words of her ancestors to serve his own agendas, but it was another for someone to believe them so reverently. It was outright sickening to listen to, such that she could barely even respond to it. Not that someone as indoctrinated as Anavel Gato would have listened to her. "His is not the words of a prophet or seer, but the drivel of a false god, whose only faith is to power! He is no different from the Fuhrer he idolizes!"

She pressed the attack again. "How can you believe anything that scum says!?"

That one struck a chord in Gato's spirit, such that his face twisted with anger. "With all my being, as do all of Zeon!" he declared in response, angered that a lowborn would dare speak ill of his Emperor. He pressed on the attack, now unleashing an entire series of axe strikes. "You lowborn have long poisoned and corrupted the universe with your presence, ever since you were cast out of Eden! Do you really believe you vermin have any right or favor toward Ascension!?"

For a time, it seemed that _Unit Gamma_ was being beaten back by the _Zaku_. "And now you wish to drag those who remain uncorrupted down with you!" he was shouting now. "That is why those five billion Jerichoans died! That is why their deaths gave Zeon glory! And that is why the rest of you will die, until the last lowborn is exterminated!"

He then shouted out a thunderous cry. "So that Zeon can move Beyond!"

At that, Gato jumped away and let loose his hip missiles. In response, Sayla fired back with her vulcans, swatting them out of the air. They then crossed the gap again and attacked with their respective melee weapons, only now a deadly and disturbing calm had entered in between them. For a time, it seemed that no more words would be spoken between the two aces.

And then, upon crossing his axes with her sword once again, Sayla finally spoke up. "Is that what you believe, Anavel Gato?" she questioned, her tone far more minor now. "Is that what the Nightmare of Solomon truly believes?"

Though Gato didn't understand it, he felt a chill run over his heart now, feeling as though he had just instilled the wrath of a being he should not have; he almost felt his instincts screaming at him not to say any more, and to simply turn away and hope Sayla Mass did not pursue. He shook his head at that; how could he feel like that to a lowborn woman? As skilled a pilot as she was, she was still an inferior being to him, hardly anything to feel fear toward. As such, he answered. "With complete faith. Something else you wouldn't understand, wretch."

"I see." Sayla replied. It was then that she looked up, pure bloodlust shining through her eyes. _"Then I will _enjoy_ watching you die."_

With that, in a clear imitation of her brother, Sayla had _Unit Gamma_ kick Gato's _Zaku_ in the torso, sending it flying back a certain distance. From there, moving much faster than the Nightmare of Solomon expected, she drew her second saber and charged to strike.

* * *

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal  
**_**Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

Again the bridge shook as fire from a Zeon ship struck the outer armor. Bright Noa grimaced at that; one of the main downsides of the _Midway_-class was that their size made them hard targets to miss, and it didn't help that the Zeon, in standard doctrine, were concentrating their fire upon the mighty fleetcarrier. Fortunately, the _Ark Royal_'s heavy armor was quite capable weathering whatever blows the Zeeks threw at her, such that even a battlecruiser would have difficulty penetrating her hull. Bright knew the latter from experience.

"Take out that forward cruiser!" Bright ordered, spotting a lone _Dresden_ in the distance, one that had apparently wandered away from the pack. A bad move, as _Dresdens_ were only efficiently defended in numbers.

From there, the firing of the _Ark Royal_'s two dorsal mounted beam cannons was perfectly timed. In a matter of moments, four magenta colored beams streaked across space and blasted their way straight the Zeon cruiser's hull, causing it to buckle and explode instantly. Unfortunately that mattered very little, as there were plenty more where that came from; three more _Dresdens_ quickly took position to avenge their comrade, beginning pelt the _Ark Royal_ with their own cannon fire. Again Bright grimaced; it was almost like pulling weeds back in the family garden.

"Damn they're putting up a fight." snarled Mirai from beside him. "At this rate, we're going to end up closing in and going at it in full melee."

"So be it. We would hold the advantage anyway." Bright stated. Indeed, the _Ark Royal_ would be a juggernaut at close range, where her full firepower could be brought to bear. "And in light of the circumstances, it would be a pleasure."

"Heh." Mirai let out with a staunch grin, one that was secretly matched by the other bridge crew that heard him. "Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead then, Captain?"

"Not just yet." Bright replied with a wave of the hand. "We'll follow the _Magellan_'s lead when that happens; undoubtedly Wakkein will order it soon."

At that, Mirai cast at absent glance toward the fleet formation screen on the main monitor, looking upon the _Magellan_'s position. She had to admit, as big a scum bag and a screw up Wakkein was, the Admiral definitely knew how to fight. The _Magellan_ was taking just a similar amount of fire to the _Ark Royal_, yet the "little" _Actium_ battlecruiser remained in the battle, and was dishing as much out in kind. The rest of the fleet was not far behind her either; in fact they hadn't taken heavy losses yet, which also said a lot.

On the other hand, Bright was worried. They had already sunk several Zeon ships up to this point, yet the Zeon still possessed the edge in firepower and numbers, even without the solar ray; if the Federation force engaged them conventionally, they would quickly be overwhelmed. Thus, he surmised there were two possible means toward gaining the advantage: first, having the mobile suits break through the Zeon lines and open the way up for the fleet to move in, or two, they locate the _Peer Gynt _and sink her straight away.

Unfortunately neither seemed plausible at this point. Despite the massive effect the three _Gundams_ were having on the mobile suit front, the _Zakus_ still remained abundant, and as long as that were the case, Sleggar and the others would have to deal with them before proceeding to the ships. As well, while the _Ark Royal_ had detected several _Scharnhorst_ battlecruisers up to this point, none of them were identified as the _Peer Gynt_. If Bright had to guess, Delaz's infamous flagship was kept well away from the front battle line, as well as defended by perhaps an entire squadron of _Dresdens_.

Overall, the Star Force fleet could only fight the Zeon on the standard level, with the mobile suits dogfighting while the larger ships slowly moving in, exchanging cannon and missile fire with each other and witling away at each other's numbers. Thus the worry on Bright's end.

"All tubes reloaded!" Letz shouted out from the weapons station.

Bright was quick to reply. "Set for full spray!" he commanded. "Fire!"

Barely seconds later, the _Ark Royal_'s bow erupted as missiles showered out of their respective launchers and blasted their way toward the Zeon line. Several were shot down before they could reach their targets, but it didn't matter as there were so many of them. A fair number of ships were struck as a result.

Seeing that, Bright resolved to put aside his worries and concentrate on the fight. After all, it was a long way from being decided.

* * *

_Damn it, does this ship NOT have an emergency power system or something!?_ Fraw thought angrily as the ship shook violently yet again, causing the lighting in sickbay to flicker out in the middle of her work. It was getting worse by the minute, though not yet enough that it seriously jeopardized her operation.

A moment later, she finally finished repairing the last damaged arteries of her latest patient, yet another hangar mechanic that got too close to a control panel when the shockwave hit. Another moment later, the nurse handed her an autosuture, which Fraw used to close said arteries. From there she took one last look at the holographic monitor board over the operating table, which showed that the patient was in stable condition.

_Good. One down, several to go._ she thought, then closing the patient's chest, she nodded at the orderlies, who quickly set to work transferring the man out of the operating room via hoverbed. In spite of her current work load however, she was grateful for one thing. While the _Ark Royal_'s time on Jericho II was quite short, its base had a large abundance of medical staff on hand, transferred in from Cyrus IV in expectation of the Zeon invasion. It took some convincing, but Fraw had managed to get enough transferred to the _Ark Royal_ to replenish her medical personnel numbers; this ended up having a huge impact, as she was no longer the only medic onboard the ship. She was still the CMO however, which nobody seemed to mind, or more accurately had a chance to mind.

Seconds later, her old patient was brought out, and a new one, an engineer covered in third degree burns and lacerations, was brought in. Rinse and repeat.

And yet, even as she mentally prepared for surgery again while a nurse applied an anesthetic, Fraw's mind was not on her current work. Rather, it was on the earlier afternoon, before Jericho II's destruction, and what she saw in the one who had been beside her. _Amuro..._

* * *

With a roar, Amuro throttled his _Unit Alpha _to full power and shoulder barged his target _Zaku_ with a jarring crash. In a swift motion he activated his left hand beam gauntlet, reached out and grabbed the enemy mobile suit's head, obliterating it upon contact. From there, the physical shock from the impact, combined with the sudden loss of the enemy suit's main camera, gave Amuro ample time to maneuver behind the _Zaku_, stick the barrel of his hyper beam rifle into its back, and fire off a single shot. He jumped away just as it exploded.

"You're going to have to do better than that!" Amuro yelled at the top of his voice to any Zeon who were listening. He was far more invigorated now than he had ever been in his life; even the rage he had felt at White Base was tranquil compared to the full blown battle lust he was feeling now. He wasn't just fighting because he had no choice; he _literally_ wanted to slaughter as many Zeon as he could lay his hands on, and he wasn't going to stop any time soon. At the time it was an experience both terrifying and exhilarating in scope.

Suddenly feeling warning run through his mind, Amuro reactively engaged his right beam shield. Sure enough, beams quickly bounced off the barrier, to which Amuro turned to see more _Zakus_ approaching, their red mono-eyes flashing with vehemence. He sneered at them, having the _Gundam_'s own camera eyes flash back before he engaged his thrusters again and set after them.

Immediately he fired off several more shots from his beam rifle, the beams tearing through two of the _Zakus_ while the rest evaded. Those who survived were quick to return to fire, to which Amuro again activated a beam shield, this time on his left arm. As before, the _Zakus_' beam machine gun shots were too weak to penetrate, and so Amuro waded and maneuvered his way through the barrage until he was practically on top of the _Zakus_. So close, in fact, that he chose to stow his rifle and draw his beam saber.

Letting out another battle cry, Amuro slashed a fatal wound into the closest _Zaku_, a diagonal cut that went right through the cockpit. He followed that up by slashing another _Zaku_ across the waist and then stabbing another one afterward. This only left one more _Zaku_, which happened to be the one with the commander's fin. That one was a little harder to take down, as it was able to draw its beam axe right before Amuro could land the killing strike.

Bellowing a roar of pure rage, Amuro continued his offensive, not giving the shaken but experienced _Zaku_ pilot any opening to exploit. In a swift slashing motion, Amuro hacked off the _Zaku_'s beam shield projector from the right arm, costing it its main means of defense. He then attempted to cleave the cockpit, but a snap maneuver on the pilot's part caused Amuro's attack to land short, "only" cutting away the right leg. The _Zaku_ then attempted to flip over the white mobile suit and strike it from the back, but Amuro was faster in twisting around, this time slashing away the _Zaku_'s right arm, the one holding the beam axe entirely. As a last act, the _Zaku_ pilot was about to fire his missiles at point blank, but again Amuro was faster, finishing off the _Zaku_ with a vulcan burst into the cockpit block.

And yet, even as the _Zaku_ finally gave into its wounds and exploded, Amuro's rage still was not sated. It was all _far _from enough for him; he wanted to see the whole fleet burn. As such he again gunned his thrusters to full power and shot out into the sea of metal and explosions, looking for more Zeon to kill. From there, it wasn't long before he lost himself amongst another _Zaku_ team, his white _Gundam_ striking down its new targets without hindrance.

All throughout, from the back of his mind and memory, the screams only continued to echo with terrifying pitch.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Author's Notes:** Now to answer Ben-01's questions. First, Zeon doesn't have a nobility system, at least not in the standard European line. Rather, their government is set up like the Roman Empire or Nazi Germany, in which power, influence and prestige are determined based upon offices and duties held as opposed to titles; this is just the more practical method of government, as it allows for power and prosperity to be achieved by anyone who possesses ability and ambition. Very important here, since this Zeon emphasizes Nietzscheism (to an extent) and Social Darwinism as norms. Plus, it follows along with the theme set by the Principality.

That being said though, Zeon does have historical "elite" families (also like the Principality) who descend from the original settlers of Zeon, and as such have amassed large amounts of wealth, power and recognition (such that they are denoted with the nobiliary particle "Von"); this is where the von Daikuns and the von Zabis come from. There are about fifteen of these High Families, who generally administrate different parts of the Empire, and more often than not have family members in key government and military positions (though again, positions are earned mostly by ability over political favor). As well, they have a secondary function that's similar to the Elector Princes of the Holy Roman Empire; generally, they elect the "new" Emperor/Empress (and by extension ruling dynasty) from one of their number, who in turn holds the position either for life or until he is voted out, from which the High Families elect a new monarch, and so on.

As for the fleet setup for either the Federation or Zeon, there's a little bit more to explain. Both primarily use a number system similar to most modern day navies, but with certain name changes in organization. At the top of the spectrum are the space equivalents of a modern day oceanic Fleet; these Fleets are made up of thousands upon thousands of ships, and span over multiple star systems/sectors and outposts. The Earth Federation Star Force has thirteen Fleets while the Zeon Imperial Guard has ten Fleets, each of which holding authority over one-thirteenth or one-tenth of their resident nation's whole territory. From there, both sides break down to smaller Groups or Taskforces, then Squadrons, and finally Elements.

Additionally, sub-units such as mobile suit forces are also identified by numbers (a la the EFSF 105th Mobile Suit Squadron "Shrikes"), though depending on their formation they can either be a singular unit (i.e. the defense squadron for a ship) or part of a much larger force. For example, since ships of the _Midway_-class usually hold four squadrons of mobile suits (forty-eight MS overall), those squadrons are typically unified into a single cohesive unit called a Carrier Assault Group (CAG), which is then numbered off from the ship's own number (i.e. the unit belonging to the _Ark Royal_ (CV-13) is labeled the 13th Carrier Assault Group). As well, Zeon will at times form autonomous units labeled Corps, which as you can guess are designed to operate outside larger forces for special missions (for example, Char's unit is the 300th Independent Corps). As such, they have no set standard in number or formation, as they are formed entirely upon mission profile.

Hope that answers your questions Ben.


	6. Chapter VI: Stardust Battlefield

**Chapter VI: Stardust Battlefield**

**Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

Shiro roared as he continued his fight, charging his _Guncannon _through the mass of _Zakus_ and shooting beams at anything unfriendly. The green, mono-eyed giants were just as quick to shoot back, raining beam machine gun and bazooka fire at his team's direction. However, whereas any other _Guncannon_ pilot would have succumbed to the storm of yellow beams, Shiro, having took part in the war since the beginning, weaved his own gunmetal grey and navy blue machine around the beams with a practiced hand, all the while Kiki and Michel's own _Troopers_ continued to remain close by and support him. And all around them, more and more Zeon mobile suits were obliterated.

Compared to the usual suspects of the _Guncannon _line, Shiro's _Guncannon Stormer_ was a different beast altogether, and its performance against the _Zakus_ showed it. Having been designed and manufactured just after the war's beginning, the _Stormer_ was the first, and so far only, _Guncannon_ meant specifically to fight other mobile suits, _especially_ the _Zaku_. For this purpose, it naturally boasted improved speed and maneuverability, which didn't quite match the _Zaku_'s but still was higher than that of a standard _Guncannon_'s. As well, it replaced the original shoulder guns with a pair of six-barreled beam gatling cannons, which were less powerful in terms of raw firepower than the former, but possessed a firing rate that was twice that of a _Zaku_'s machine gun. All of that read out, the _Stormer_ had been the Federation's number one mobile suit killer until the _Gundams_' debut, and even now it was an effective weapon as Shiro was demonstrating.

Of course, the _Stormer_'s current performance wasn't just due to its capabilities, but also by how much its pilot was driving it. To put it succinctly, Shiro was enraged, far more than one would have expected him to be. The destruction of Jericho II had hit every member of the present Star Force fleet hard, but none so much as Shiro Amada, the last survivor of the planet Hiei.

Even as he continued his slaughter, the image of Jericho II's destruction flashed in and out Shiro's mind, alongside Hiei's own destruction. He could still remember that day, as he floated helplessly within his ruined _Trooper_, watching as the Zeon solar ray fired and obliterated his homeworld, the world he and many other had fought hard to defend, leaving no trace behind. In his mind he had watched his family and loved ones die in the flash as the entire planet exploded around them, punctuated by Shiro's helpless screams before and after the act. Now that same act had been carried out once more, and its effect was such that Shiro had nearly broken down in the aftermath; it was only through Commander Sleggar verbally reaching out to him that he managed to retain himself. And even then, it had only been through his speech to him and the rest of the 13th Carrier Assault Group that he hadn't completely lost it.

As he hurtled towards additional Zeon mobile suits, Shiro dropped his crosshairs over the first on he spotted and fired his beam rifle. The _Zaku_ turned to deflect the shot, but Shiro had been faster on the draw; as such, the green mobile suit only succeeded in turning into the shot, so it could drill through the cockpit block. By the time it exploded, Shiro was already shooting at other _Zakus_, switching between his rifle and gatling cannons respectively. Not far from him, Kiki came charging in with her beam cannons, managing to destroy a _Zaku_ of her own, while Michel took potshots at a whole team, managing to score one as well. The other two soon wounded up falling to the rain of Shiro's gatling cannons.

"Not so fun fighting things that shoot back, is it!?" Kiki bellowed as she fired more beam rifle shots at an assortment of targets. "Zeek scum!"

"Keep it together Shrike Five." Shiro spoke, both toward Kiki and to himself. As much as his rage was driving him, he didn't want to get sloppy; that was the mark of death for a _Guncannon_ pilot. That being said though, he couldn't quite drown out his own anger, even as he gave the command.

On the other side, the usually well mannered and soft spoken Michel let out a battle cry of his own as he gunned down another _Zaku_ with both his cannons, rifle _and_ vulcans. This caused the other two of that team to both maneuver against him, but Michel proved to be a more elusive target, managing to gun his thrusters and evade their attacks in zero-gravity leap. In response, he fired additional beam rifle shots, managing to blast the left arm off of one before either Zeon suit raised its beam shield to deflect. Unfortunately for the Zeon pilots, that maneuver left them open to another barrage on Shiro's part, resulting in their being torn apart systematically.

Despite those impressive kills, the second team of Shrike Squadron was far from done, their collective bloodlust (especially Shiro's) far from sated. Pushing his _Stormer_ to its maximum speed, such that Kiki and Michel both had trouble keeping up, Shiro looped up over another group of _Zakus_, firing both his gatling cannons and beam rifle in rapid succession as he flew over them. His shots did little more than to scatter them, but that was what Shiro intended, as it allowed him to snipe one _Zaku_ after another with more practiced beam rifle shots. It was only when the _Zakus_ maneuvered to avoid his shots more efficiently did he switch back to his gatling cannons and overwhelmed them with sheer beam fire, to the point that they couldn't maneuver. By the time the _Zaku_ pilots began treating him as a viable threat, Shiro had already gunned down six of them singlehandedly.

Before he could continue his assault, Shiro caught sight of another _Zaku_ coming in against his right, beam axe raised to strike. Momentarily wishing he had a beam saber to fight back with, Shiro spun his _Guncannon_ around, simultaneously activating his beam shield. As he spun, he raised the shield up to deflect the _Zakus_ initial strike with his left arm, and then brought his right arm, and beam rifle to bare. Before the _Zaku_ could recover, he launched a single beam into the cockpit and then shot away, allowing the _Zaku_ to explode. That still left several more to contend with, but by that point Kiki and Michel had reached his position and were attacking with equal ferocity.

All throughout Shiro felt his whole being rage with a ferocity he had not felt in years. The Zeon had destroyed another world before his eyes, and for that he would kill as many of them as he possibly could, their genetic and technical superiorities be damned. He was not just a warrior this time around; he was an avenger, guided by both the memories of his homeworld and the memories, few as they were, of this world. And for their arrogance, the Zeon would regret his presence before he sent them to Hell.

And yet, as he spiraled around another _Zaku_ and sprayed its back with gatling fire, Shiro felt himself reach out and grasped the middle of his normal suit. The exact area where his pocket chrono laid. _How can she be...!?_

"Shrike Four behind you!" Shiro heard Michel shout over the comm. Twisting his _Guncannon_'s head around, he watched as another team of _Zakus_ came streaking in toward him. This time all three were brandishing their beam axes, and despite Kiki and Michel's best efforts, nothing was touching them.

Glowering back at the _Zakus_ with hate, Shiro again gunned his thrusters to maximum and shot at the _Zakus_ with near equal velocity. When he came up to the first unit, he immediately side dashed from its downward swing, then smashed his own rifle but into its back, sending it flying forward and opening it up for a following beam rifle shot. By the time that was accomplished, the second was already upon him, to which Shiro shot upward to avoid its own slash attack, then twisted his _Guncannon_ around in mid-velocity and fired another beam rifle shot overhead. The shot instantly drilled through the _Zaku_'s scalp, blasted downward through the Apollo Reactor and the cockpit area, and then exited the crotch. The stricken suit detonated not long after.

_How can she be...!?_ Shiro's mind rambled as remembered himself on another battlefield, having abandoned his ruined _Guncannon_ after finishing a duel with a light blue and gold tinted _Zaku_.

When the third unit came up, Shiro quickly reoriented his _Guncannon_ and fired another rifle shot. Much to his surprise however, the _Zaku_ deftly avoided his attack, and then did the same with his follow up gatling cannon blasts. It was then that Shiro noticed the _Zaku_ bore a commander's fin; clearly its pilot held experience, just like him.

This theory was soon proven as the _Zaku_ stepped up its assault, narrowly evading shots from Kiki and Michel as it slashed at Shiro's _Stormer_. With a practiced hand, Shiro was just as deft at evading its axe attacks, then jetting upward as his opponent backflipped and fired a set of missiles at him. Quickly gunning down the missiles with his vulcans, returned fire with his beam rifle, only for the _Zaku_ to dash around his shots, firing back as well with its machine gun. With that, the battle soon became a running gun duel, with both Federation and Zeon mobile suits weaving in and out of the battle zone, trying to gain a bead on the other, all the while Kiki and Michel were hindered by other units.

_How can she be...!?_ Shiro's mind exclaimed again as he remembered himself floating through the wreckage of a _Eurymedon_-class cruiser, beam pistol clutched in his hands, exchanging fire with a Zeon pilot dressed in an equally light blue and gold normal suit.

Shiro knew he was roughly even with the Zeek pilot; both had similar skill levels, and while the _Zaku_ had superior speed and mobility, Shiro had a much greater edge in firepower. The Zeon pilot seemed to understand the latter, as he attempted to cross the gap several times and engage up close with its axe once more, but the constant fire from Shiro's gatling cannons kept it from doing so. That said however, as Shiro put his _Stormer_ into more and more high speed maneuvers, he knew he couldn't keep up that field of fire forever, and that if he didn't kill the Zeek soon, he or she would eventually slip through a butcher him.

That nearly came to pass as the _Zaku_ pilot executed a spiral maneuver, looping around to throw off Shiro's aim, allowing it to come in with its axe. It was only due to Shiro's instinct that he was able to raise his beam shield on time, deflecting the initial strike, and then the second and the third. When the fourth came he attempted to raise his beam rifle and shoot the "highborn" at point blank, but the _Zaku_'s attack came with such ferocity that Shiro was forced to retain his shield.

_How can she be...!?_ Shiro's went on as he remembered himself in a sealed, still oxygenated portion of the cruiser, his helmet off, sitting beside a silver haired, dark eyed woman.

Eventually however, Shiro gained an edge. After deflecting another strike, Shiro had his _Guncannon_ feign recoiling from the shock, in such a manner that it seemed like he had been knocked back several meters. Seeing the opportunity, the Zeon pilot charged in for the kill, circling around to slash the insipient _Stormer_ across the back. Unfortunately for the Zeon, Shiro had long predicted that tactic, and so snap-angled the _Stormer_ as the Zeon closed in, such that his back thrusters were facing the Zeon suit. Thus when the Zeon soon came in for the strike, Shiro ignited his thrusters at point blank, throwing the Zeon suit back from the force and momentarily blinding pilot.

With that, Shiro used the same force to twist his _Guncannon_ around, from which he rained gatling cannon fire across the Zeon mobile suit. In a torrent of magenta rain, the Zeon suit was ripped apart, all the while Shiro roared as he held down on the trigger.

Upon doing so, he at last remembered himself, along with that same woman, floating aimlessly through the void of space in each other's arms.

_How can she be one of _you_!?_ he mentally bellowed at the dying _Zaku_, one hand again clutching the pocket chrono against his chest while the other held down the trigger. The flash of the _Zaku_ giving into its wounds was the only response that came.

"Commander!" Kiki shouted as she and Michel again flew up to realign with him, apparently having heard Shiro over the radio.

Shiro took a few breaths before answered. "I'm fine." he lied, his rage still burning through him like an inferno. "Let's go."

With that, the three _Guncannons_ took off for additional targets.

* * *

Chaos and destruction reigning around him and JAM Project's "VICTORY" blaring through his cockpit, Sleggar continued to do what he did best, lancing another beam through yet another _Zaku_ and watching it result in yet another explosion. From the side, its partner immediately attempted to avenge his comrade's death, but Sleggar had no issue dodging its axe strike, and then ripping it across the side with his vulcans. And as for the third, it attempted to turn away and flee, but was blasted apart by a nearby _Guncannon_ team, which streaked by _Unit Beta_ while passing into the melee.

Sleggar used that brief moment to catch his breath, feeling as though he had been fighting for hours. It might as well had been, as the battle was still going on at full, with neither side making headway; this in itself was a good thing, as it meant the Zeon were no closer to wiping out the Second Fleet than vice versa. All around him, Sleggar could see _Guncannons_ of all shapes and sizes continue to do battle with the various _Zakus_, both standard and ace/commander custom types, all the while the warships closed in on each other. And though the Zeeks retained their technical and biological superiorities, the Federation pilots and crews were far more driven over the deaths of their friends and comrades on Jericho II. All in all, the battle remained even, though the Zeon were slowly gaining the vantage, much to Sleggar's ire.

Quickly rejoining the onslaught, Sleggar pushed his _Gundam _up to full speed and set course for another pack of _Zakus_. In turn, the _Zakus_ easily spotted Sleggar's approach and started to fire at him with their beam machine guns, but Sleggar was moving too fast for them to get a clean lock on. After expertly evading their fire, Sleggar wasted no time in leveling his own crosshairs on one of the _Zakus_ and firing off a single bolt, the resulting beam leaping forth from his rifle and catching his target in the torso. In a strange twist, the beam had failed to touch the mobile suit's Apollo Reactor, and as such the _Zaku_ didn't detonate, instead spiraling away madly from the loss of its pilot. That was satisfying enough for Sleggar, who gunned down another _Zaku_ right after, this time causing a detonation.

Much to Sleggar's minor surprise, the other _Zakus_ didn't back down; instead they attempted to flank him at all angles, firing their machine guns and bazookas in sync. Reacting instantly, Sleggar twisted and maneuvered around each blast, returning fire with his vulcans but failing to hit anything; the _Zakus_ were coordinating their maneuvers too efficiently. Fortunately that wouldn't last long, as Sleggar quickly spotted the unit bearing telltale commander fin. As luck would have it, that unit, and several others within the pack, were now flying at him en masse. Clearly they wanted to overwhelm him all at once.

In reaction to that, Sleggar quickly withdrew his beam rifle and reached toward his _Gundam_'s back. _**"FORM BLAZING SWORD!"**_ he called out as he drew his beam saber with flourish and charged. Hurtling against nearest _Zaku_, Sleggar twisted his _Gundam_ around to deftly avoid its beam machine gun attack, then cutting said machine gun in half before flying around and slashing the _Zaku_ across the back. He then banked to avoid the second _Unit_'s beam bazooka attack, to which he reversed the saber so he could smack the hand-held beam cannon upward with the hilt, before bringing the sword end around to slash the _Zakus_ arms off and then finally impale the cockpit. Two more _Zakus_ came at him with their machine guns blazing, but once again Sleggar was faster, bringing _Unit Beta_ upon both of them, one after another, and dispatching them with well placed cuts to the cockpit.

Sleggar dispatched several more _Zakus_ from there, one slash after another. However, it wasn't long before the command unit, which he had been able to strike up to this point, charged in, switching its own machine gun out for its beam axe. It shot after _Unit Beta_, taking a swipe up at the _Gundam_ up close, but Sleggar brought his beam saber up and blocked the attack in time. He then backed off slightly to launch a series of jabs at his opponent, but the enemy pilot was quick to go on the evasive, dodging each jab with ease. The enemy pilot then slashed his axe in an attempt to behead _Unit Beta_, but Sleggar had no problem ducking that and counterattacking with his vulcans, which in turn forced the _Zaku_ to duck behind its beam shield.

To Sleggar's surprise, the _Zaku_, rather than fall back from the vulcan fire, actually _barged_ through the blasts with its beam shield at the front, moving slam into _Unit Beta_. Sleggar responded by banking to the left, and then dodging the following beam axe slash by a hair. From there, he lashed out with his left gauntlet and obliterated the right hand and beam axe altogether. The _Zaku_ pilot attempted to counter this by lining up for a point-blank missile shot, but Sleggar was quicker, smacking the _Zaku_'s head around with a roundhouse kick to knock it out of its equilibrium. He then promptly finished it off with a spin slash, bifurcating the Zeon mobile suit and jetting back before both ends exploded.

"See you in hell, 'highborn.'" Sleggar coldly snarled as the glow of the blast died from his monitor. The battle was still playing out, as was Sleggar's own wrath. The sight of Jericho's remnants in the distance only emphasized it.

Just then his sensors beeped in warning. Another wave of Zeon mobile suits was moving into range. In fact, as Sleggar turned _Unit Beta_'s head toward that vector, he also saw that the Zeon fleet, still trading fire with their Star Force adversaries, was also moving into the battle right behind them. Sleggar sneered at that. Typical Zeon tactics, he noted; sending in the _Zakus_ to barge a way through the _Guncannons_, thereby allowing the warships to passthrough the melee and overwhelm the Star Force fleet. And with the Zeon fleet's greater numbers, it would be all too easy for them to envelope Wakkein's force and obliterate them.

_Big mistake driving in like that!_ Sleggar thought as he stowed his beam saber and launched _Unit Beta_ toward the Zeon force. He then switched his comm. to fleet wide. "This is Shrike Leader! I'm moving in against the enemy ships! All mobile suit teams on me!" he then narrowed his gaze as he added. _"We're going to break through that fleet!"_

Upon his signal, countless numbers of _Guncannons_ took formation behind _Unit Beta_, following it toward the Zeon. The _Zakus_ were quick to notice their sudden assault and did all they could to force the Star Force MS away. Unfortunately for the Zeon however, the Star Force mobile suits were undeterred, and though many were shot down, they continued on their advance toward the main Zeon fleet. Soon enough, _Unit Beta_ and the _Guncannons_ were upon the enemy ships, raining fire upon whatever vessel lay within their grasp.

As he himself flew over, Sleggar looked upon the Zeon fleet, which consisted of seemingly countless _Dresden_-class cruisers and fair number of _Scharnhorst_-class battlecruisers, with interest. It was arrayed in a precise attack formation, and in spite of the incoming Federation mobile suits, continued pushing forward en masse. And yet, even as the green warships, which to Sleggar all looked like something Klingons or Romulans would have designed, filled the space around them with beam phalanx and missile fire, the ace knew they would not hold out. Indeed, as much as the _Guncannon_ was an inferior dogfighter, it was second to none as a ship killer. And that was not dismissing what the _Gundam_ could do in that area.

Immediately he set his sights on a _Dresden_, which was already firing up at him with its phalanx emplacements. Dodging the fire with near effortlessness, Sleggar dove _Unit Beta_ over the cruiser, systematically returning fire with his hyper beam rifle. After obliterating the main bow beam cannons, the hangars and catapult decks as well as several of the phalanx emplacements in one pass, Sleggear brought the _Gundam_ up and over the cruiser's bridge. Dropping down and touching upon the bridge's top, Sleggar let out a single beam rifle shot, destroying the entire tower in one go. Three more shots into the stern later, the entire hull buckled and the cruiser detonated in a great explosion.

With that done, Sleggar shifted targets to another _Dresden_, this time dropping down and flying under the green cruiser. Once more evading the phalanx and missile fire, he twisted up and launched several beams into its belly, taking out everything from the underside beam cannon turret to the wings and spherical generators. Several shots in, the _Dresden_ began to list port, several explosions occurring throughout its hull. One large explosion later, it broke into five pieces, all floating away at different vectors.

Unfortunately he didn't have time to pause, as his sensors once more beeped in warning, causing him to instinctively evade as a series of yellow beam cannon shots blasted by him. Turning around to see the source, Sleggar's eyes took on even deeper vehemence. This time, his attacker was a _Scharnhorst_.

Its crew determined and quite driven to destroy their unknown target, the battlecruiser instantly launched an additional number of beam cannon shots with accompanying missile fire toward the blue mobile suit. Unfortunately for them however, Sleggar once again had no issue dodging them. A rookie pilot might have been intimidated, but to him the _Scharnhorst_ was just one up from the _Dresden_; in other words, just a bigger target. One that he had already killed a number of to this point.

When he got close enough, he shot up over the battlecruiser, now avoiding phalanx fire, before coming to a brief halt over the middle. From there, he switched his hyper beam rifle to its titular hyper mode, angled it down toward the ship and pulled the trigger. An instant later, a massive magenta beam launched out from the rifle and blasted square through the battlecruiser, leaving a large hole in its center and causing secondary explosions to rock throughout the ship. The remainder exploded not long after.

* * *

**Zeon **_**Scharnhorst**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Peer Gynt**_**  
Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

"The _Udet_ has been sunk!" an operator called out to the rest of the bridge, effectively highlighting the tension that had now completely encompassed it.

"Maintain advance and increase barrage!" Delaz shouted, both to do just those and to keep his crew focused. "Recall additional teams for fleet defense!"

No sooner than he had shouted that order, another flash erupted, this one much closer to the _Peer Gynt_, signaling the death of another cruiser. At that, the crew continued to work, but the tension remained. Though everyone on the _Peer Gynt_, and likely the rest of the fleet, had known the possibility of the Feddies moving to fight them, it was safe to say only a select few knew how hard they would do so. Those few, in turn, were men and women that had fought the Feddies in these circumstances before; in the wake of great destruction and the loss of "innocent" life. Aside from that select number, the rest of Delaz's fleet had been nearly unprepared for the lowborns' collective wrath, and were still reeling in shock over the intensity of their attacks.

For Delaz himself, that, like the loss of that one battlecruiser, was of little concern. In spite of what Gato had stated earlier, he had suspected the Feddies would respond this way; after all, they had nothing to lose now except their own lives. As such, he had molded his strategy around this very possibility, and the result spoke for itself: the Feddies were doing all in their power to hurt his taskforce, but they could not keep it from driving forward as it was now, ensuring that the battle would become a full out melee between both mobile suit and warship. A melee in which the Zeon, with their superior numbers and close-combat skills, would hold complete advantage. Thus, if the tide continued in his direction, Wakkein and his pitiful remnants would be reduced to stardust in little under an hour's time.

That being said, there was one element that Delaz hadn't anticipated, besides that thrice damned Trojan Horse: the three new model mobile suits within Wakkein's lineup. At first he didn't know what to make of them; he had heard rumors that the Feddies had been experimenting with a new mobile suit line outside the _Guncannon_ and _Guntank_, but he had figured that any machine produced by the lowborn engineers of the Federation would be inherently inferior. But then he saw one, specifically the white one with the stylized red 'A' on its left shoulder, launch out of formation and barrel into his own mobile suit forces; not only did the enemy mobile suit _not_ get shot down from the start, but it actually attacked with such power and ferocity, that it had disrupted the _Zakus_' advance, which the other Feddie units immediately capitalized on with their own counterattack.

Speaking of that, Delaz watched with growing ire as one of those suits, the blue one, which held the insignia of the Phoenix of Arcturus on its shoulder, singlehandedly destroy another cruiser with only a few beam rifle shots before launching away toward another target. Delaz silently cursed that machine. It was bad enough that the three new models were, by themselves, faster and more powerful than any mobile suit seen up to this point, but two of them had to be piloted by the Federation's top aces. And as for the white one, it was _still_ cutting through his forces, only slowing down at select periods of time.

_Just what are these monstrosities the Feddies have created?_ Delaz wondered, as he brought up a holodisplay in front of him, from which he shifted through three different windows, each showing one of the new models. While the white and blue ones were continuing to fight through the main lines, he saw that the red one, the one that held the Valkyrie of Riah's sigil, was still fighting Gato.

"Enemy ships at seven thousand and closing fast!" one of the operators shouted out. Indeed, the Federation ships looked a lot closer now, and as Delaz saw, their barrages were becoming a lot more frequent. It wouldn't be long before the two fleets converged and entered melee range themselves.

Seeing those closing grey and blue ships, Delaz couldn't help but smirk. Try as they might, the lowborn Feddies were a long way from stopping him, much less surviving the battle. "All ships, reload missile tubes and prepare for mass launch on my mark!" he commanded. "Once the enemy formation is broken, advance for point blank engagement!"

* * *

Just barely raising his right arm in time, Gato managed to deflect the saber strike with his axe. He managed to do the same with the following strike as well, and then the third, and the fourth, but once more only through sheer reaction speed and timing. Through clenched teeth, he countered with an axe attack of his own, but by then the red mobile suit jetted back, evading the blow entirely, and then counter in turn with its vulcans. By the time Gato raised his shield to deflect the spray, the red unit was on the move, coming at him from the left side; only Gato's instinct and reflexes prevented his _Zaku_ from bifurcated. Unfortunately however, he could prevent the Feddie mobile suit from slashing off one of the left shoulder spikes.

_"Goddamn it!"_ Gato roared out in a mixture of frustration and growing anger. He was being pushed back; against all odds and likelihoods, the Valkyrie of Riah had forced him onto the defensive and was keeping him there. Against her furious yet pinpoint accurate attacks combined with the sheer speed of her machine, it was all Gato could do to deflect her saber strikes and get away with minor damage, while any counterattack he attempted was either rapidly deflected or evaded, with the Valkyrie returning to the offensive thereafter. The number of scars and cuts his _Zaku_ was now sporting was testament to that status.

Yet again did he try to attack, and yet again did his opponent evade the slash entirely, then fly up and over his _Zaku_ at a speed that should have broken the lowborn pilot within, only to twist around and slash at Gato's back. Gato, in turn, just managed to twist his shoulder shield around in time to deflect what turned out to be the _initial_ attack, while the second one cut across his _Zaku_'s torso; only by jetting back himself did he evade getting his cockpit cut into.

_Impossible!_ Gato's roared in the midst of the fight. Of all the Federation pilots, dead and alive, that he had fought up to this point, he had never, _ever_ encountered one so fast, nor held such technique. By all facts and logic, a lowborn pilot like Sayla Mass shouldn't have been able to fight in such a manner, let alone dominate the fight against one of Zeon's foremost aces. Just by those same facts and logic, a highborn like Gato should have finished her by now, or at the very least been progressing toward that point. And yet facts and logic be damned, it was he who was being pushed back, something Gato, for all of his superior mental functions, could not even comprehend.

And the worst part was, as he parried another saber blow meant for his cockpit, Gato knew it wasn't because of that mobile suit. While he did not know the exact capabilities of that new model beyond the sheer speed and responsiveness it was displaying, Gato knew a true ace when he saw one; a pilot whose speed, power and technique were such that they could dominate any fight, regardless of whether they were piloting a superior new model or an old, broken down _Guncannon_. The Valkyrie of Riah, as she was proving now, was one such ace, perhaps the best Gato had ever seen. The tales surrounding the Battle of Riah, and the Valkyrie slaying Admiral Sasro in one on one battle, were fast becoming truth before Gato's eyes.

_This is madness!_ Gato's mind just barely managed to process as Sayla sent her mobile suit into her spin, repeatedly slashing against Gato's shield before jetting up and going into a following side spin. Only through another split-second maneuver did Gato manage to keep his _Zaku_ from being cut down the middle.

For her part, amidst her seemingly endless wrath and bloodlust, the Nightmare of Solomon's turmoil bemused Sayla. The pompous, arrogant little zealot could not for the life of him believe a "lowborn" was forcing him back, much less to such an extent that he could barely keep up. And try as he might to hide his emotions and focus on the battle, it was no hard effort for Sayla's special senses to pick up on his confusion and growing despair. For her, it was almost palatable.

Even so, she had to admit Gato was a good pilot. Nowhere near her brother's league, but still better than the average Zeon. The fact she hadn't been able to kill him yet, despite her superior machine and her special senses, showed that he lived up to his famous epithet. That being said however, the Nightmare of Solomon was still no real match for her; Gato was only delaying the inevitable in this fight, rather than working his way toward triumph. The more the battle went on, and the more wounds his _Zaku_ took, the more it was evident that Sayla would be the victor, much to the Zeon pilot's exasperation and the Federation pilot's bemusement.

At the same time, Gato's growing despair wasn't the only thing she noticed during the fight. As she flitted to and from, attacking and evading at each passing moment, Sayla couldn't help but feel something _strange_ about her machine. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it seemed like _Unit Gamma_ was responding to her commands extremely fast; _far_ faster than any other mobile suit she had piloted. In fact, if Sayla didn't know any better, she could have sworn _Unit Gamma_ was following her commands _well before_ she inputted them through the control system. As if the _Gundam_, through means that she could not be sure of, was not just responding to her physical movements, but her very _thoughts_ as well.

However, that feeling, as strange and potentially unnerving as it was, remained a secondary matter. For the moment, she had a Zeon ace to kill. Solomon's Nightmare had stained the universe with its disgusting existence long enough.

As the _Zaku_ shot back from her latest attack, Sayla brought both of her beam sabers to her sides, threateningly. "Is this it?" she stated, in a strange mixture of mirth and fury, toward the beaten and scarred blue and green _Zaku_. "Is this all the great Nightmare of Solomon is capable of?"

She then gunned her thrusters and shot forward, again slashing at her prey. "Is this all the mighty Anavel Gato, Hero of Zeon and Loyal Servant of Emperor Gihren, can do against _me_?"

"You..." Gato snarled back as he brought his axes to bare. "You're just another victim of mine. Just like those weaklings I butchered at Solomon, and Kiev, and Zanzibar." the Zeon ace glowered as he attempted to counterattack. _"You're no different from any other lowborn scum I've slaughtered!"_

"Oh but I am." Sayla replied with growing bemusement as she easily deflected his attack and responded in kind. "You were only up against novices in those battles; inexperienced men and women who knew not their enemy nor their own capabilities. Now you face a _true_ warrior, one who has fought and slain many like yourself."

She grinned dominantly as she continued pressing the attack, with her _Gundam_ and Gato's _Zaku_ continuing to fly about the battlefield, now around the wreckage of other mobile suits. "And I must say I'm not impressed." Sayla stated as she lashed out at the _Zaku_'s head, leaving another great gouge along its side. "For a soldier of Zeon, you are severely lacking."

Gato growled as he again slashed at her. "Your offense is inelegant." Sayla replied as she knocked away both axe attacks. "Your defense is weak and open." she exclaimed as she jetted around at Gato's right and kicked him away. "Your counters are predictable." she continued as she dodged another axe attack.

She then brought her swords together, crossing them as Gato brought down both of his blades. "And you are completely controlled by your emotions, instead of completely controlling them." she finished as she broke both sabers away, throwing back the axes and then making another slash at the _Zaku_'s torso. Again Gato managed to evade, but only by the barest moments. "All common traits of an _inferior_."

"Silence!" Gato bellowed as he launched another spray of missiles. However, such an act only served to emphasize Sayla's point, as _Unit Gamma_ easily flitted around, once again using its vulcans to shoot down the missiles.

The smirk Sayla was now wearing was nothing short of cruel. "I suppose I shouldn't have expected much." she continued in mock disappointment, once more clashing her beam sabers against the _Zaku_'s axes, with Gato just barely keeping up with her. Though the Zeon was fighting hard, it was even clearer now that Sayla was dominant. "After all, the House of Gato has always been filled with _peasants_ and _weaklings_."

That one hit home, as Gato's eyes suddenly widened in additional rage. _"You...!"_ he snarled as he pressed the attack. "Don't you dare speak of my family...!"

"Why not?" Sayla shot back, both in words and with her vulcans, forcing Gato to again duck behind his shield. "Their history is well documented, is it not?" she continued as they clashed swords yet again. "An entire line of failures and incompetents, stemming from one of the greatest displays of stupidity to ever befall the Empire. So much so that only through becoming Gihren's slaves could grandeur be restored to you."

Sayla's smirk only grew bigger as she watched Gato's ire increase tenfold. Indeed, the Gatos, while being one of the earlier Houses to emerge after Zeons founding, soon became a pariah after one of their ancestors, a planetary governor, had so badly mismanaged the industrial sector of their homeworld that it exploded right under them. After that event, dubbed the Castile Incident, the House of Gato's reputation was forever tarnished, such that its members would spend generations trying (and failing) to reestablish their hold in Zeon. Only in recent times, through the Gatos' support of Gihren's regime, could some level of prominence be restored to them.

"I suppose that's the _real_ reason you're so loyal to Gihren..." she stated to Gato's ever growing ire. "...because, if Zeon had remained under its _true_ rulership, a sub-being like you would have _never_ seen the inside of a mobile suit, let alone be inducted into the Guard."

Again Gato roared and attacked. This time however, his attack was poorly timed, and the result was Sayla not only evading it entirely, but also launching herself forward and cleaving off the _Zaku_'s left arm. Completely severed, the limb floated away, taking the _Zaku_'s second beam axe with it, while the _Gundam_ arced back and clashed both sabers against Gato's remaining blade. "Temper temper." Sayla chided, as both _Gundam_ and _Zaku_ exchanged attacks. "Once again lacking for one of Zeon's finest."

Gato gritted his teeth as fought back, his mind racing to find ways to defend himself. Additionally, he found himself taken back for another reason; not only was Sayla Mass an excellent mobile suit pilot, but she knew much, _too much_, about Zeon's social structure. Hell, she even knew about the House of Gato's disgrace and its recent pact with the Zabis; two things no outsider would have knowledge of. And most importantly, through both her words and her form, she project power; power that Gato knew could not have existed within a mere denizen of the Earth Federation.

Along that line, Delaz's earlier words came to his mind. That traitors existed in Zeon.

And once more, Gato refused to believe it. It was just too impossible, no matter what he saw before him. "You...you're no mere lowborn...!" he found himself calling out in the midst of his thoughts. _"WHO ARE YOU!?"_

"Me?" Sayla answered with a cold laugh. "I'm Zeon's Reckoning." she replied, again crossing her swords against Gato's axe. "And your worst..._nightmare_."

The battle between the two aces only continued from there.

* * *

With a great bellow, Amuro destroyed yet another _Zaku_ with a shot of his hyper beam rifle. Its two wingmates naturally didn't take well to that, and so launched around the explosion, firing their machine guns in tandem to try and box the _Gundam_ in. Unfortunately for them, Amuro had foreseen their attack, and so launched the _Gundam_ around their shots, moving to the right side of one and obliterating it with another beam rifle shot, and then maneuvering again to shoot the last one in the back. Amuro took but one more moment to glower at the flash of the last explosion, and then shot off for other targets.

Even now, through all the carnage and destruction, the screams continued to echo throughout Amuro's mind. With haunting pitch, the death cries of an entire population, numbering within the billions, sung out in a dark and foreboding chorus within Amuro's consciousness, all the while the last remnants of their memories and beings (perhaps even their _souls_) remained etched within Amuro's psyche like scratches on a window pane. Together, the screams and the presences were endless; an infinite stream of pain and confusion forcing itself through Amuro like a bloodstream, showing no sign whatsoever of slowing or ending. And no matter how many _Zakus_ he killed, no matter how much he committed himself to the battle, the _Gundam_ pilot could not force them out. All he could do was continue to fight in seeming futility, both against the Zeon and the screams.

If there was any respite to be had, it was that the Zeon were not so hard to kill. Whether it was due to his growing skills, or due to his completely surrendering himself to his instincts and his special senses, Amuro had little issue wading through the battlefield and killing every _Zaku_ he came across. He was death incarnate, such that even the Zeon recognized him as such, as Amuro's special senses picked up.

Once more, Amuro's sensors beeped in warning: six more _Zakus_ came streaking at him now. In an instant later, the bazooka wielding units, of which there were two, fired on him, with their beam machine guns wielding brethren following up not long after. Instincts again taking over, Amuro banked and dodged each blast with practiced grace before cutting his thrusters back to full bore and closing the distance.

Up front he fired a double shot, killing two _Zakus_ at the front of the formation, then closing the gap on a third and obliterating it with a vulcan spray. During that, one of the others attempted to strike him in the back with a beam axe, but Amuro was quicker in raising his shield, deflecting the blow and knocking it away while twisting the _Gundam_ around to fire a point blank shot through the cockpit. From there, he shot upward to avoid another bazooka shot, which he repaid by firing his beam rifle through that unit, detonating it as well. And finally there was the sixth and final unit, which could only remain and spray _Unit Alpha_ with all out machine gun and missile fire, its pilot resigned to die fighting. Amuro obliged him by evading his attacks, closing the gap and smashing his left hand against the _Zaku_'s upper torso, from which he fired a gauntlet shot all the way through and out the _Zaku_'s back. Withdrawing the hand soon after, Amuro jetted away as the stricken _Zaku_ detonated.

But that wasn't enough. Nowhere near enough for Amuro Ray. Gaining a lock on another _Zaku_, this one not yet aware of his presence, his beam rifle again spat out hatred that streaked across the void and slammed into its target, causing another flicker of light to erupt amidst the field. Another light soon followed as Amuro streaked through the void, followed by another and then another, while whatever counterfire came was quickly and easily evaded. To the outside, it seemed as though an entire line of lights had erupted through space, trailing behind a white comet of pure rage.

And then Amuro felt a new feeling of warning enter his mind: three nearby _Dresden_-class cruisers were now targeting him, their upper deck mounted beam cannons twisting to face him. Jetting upward to avoid the initial shots, and then banking around to avoid the follow ups, Amuro quickly shifted targets toward the angular, evil looking cruisers. It would be his first time taking on capital ships, but he wasn't worried. Or more specifically he was too enraged to be worried.

Twisting around the neon yellow blasts with furor, Amuro descended upon the first _Dresden_ like a bird of prey upon a rodent. Up front he took out the two dorsal turrets with pinpoint shots, then blasted off the beak like bow tip and laced shots through the rest of the hull. Even with so few shots Amuro felt his attacks having effect; from his detecting the crew's panic to lights flickering from power fluctuations to moments where the cruiser was freely drifting, he knew he was already having an effect. He then spiraled underneath, obliterated the ventral cannon turret, then blasted additional shots into the underbelly, specifically around the area that, through his special senses, he found the engine room was located. From there, additional explosions rocked the entire cruiser, which were only punctuated when Amuro shot up from the cruiser's stern, twisted around and fired two more shots into engine pod. From there the cruiser exploded entirely.

The first _Dresden_'s death instantly caused its partners escorts to intensify their fire against the white mobile suit, such that it seemed as though space were filled with phalanx and missile fire. Again however, Amuro had no issue dodging, his special senses now in overdrive and _Unit Alpha_ responding perfectly to his commands. He quickly regunned his thrusters and flashed toward the second Zeon cruiser, so fast in fact that he appeared as a white blur to the bewildered Zeon crews.

Shooting over the bow of the second cruiser, he made his way over toward the bridge, halting only when he was right in front of it. The bridge crew, naturally, could only look back at him in shock and despair, totally caught off guard by the power of the Federation's new model; that despair was only emphasized further upon Amuro flashing the _Gundam_'s neon yellow eyes. Little over a second later, Amuro unleashed his vulcans into the bridge, slaughtering the entire bridge crew in a series of rapid fire beams. He then shot around the bridge tower and fired more shots down into the center hull, again targeting the engine room and the apollo reactor therein, causing power to fluctuate throughout the ship and the hull to buckle. Several shots later, the _Dresden_ joined its comrade in oblivion.

"And now for you." Amuro growled toward the third _Dresden_, which was now firing at him wildly and desperately. Yet again Amuro had no problems evading that fire, from which he flashed over the cruiser once before shooting up and around toward the bow. Once he was directly in front of the ship, Amuro put his thrusters to full power and began his attack.

Charging for the prow of the cruiser, Amuro pulled hard right on his sticks, sending _Unit Alpha_ into a wide counterclockwise spiral flight pattern. The cruiser's phalanxes attempted to track him, but whether they were on automatic or being directly controlled, Amuro was moving way too fast for them to get a fix. Now appearing as a white cyclone against the void, Amuro used the rotation to swoop from one side of the _Dresden_ to the other, firing beam rifle shot after beam rifle shot into areas that his special senses isolated as weapon locations or power centers. Again he could tell his attacks had effect, as lights quickly dimmed throughout the cruiser and the engines fluctuated wildly, causing the Zeon ship to list forward into a drift. Once he was over the aft, Amuro brought his rifle around and fired a single finishing shot into the _Dresden_'s "ass". The result was nothing short of spectacular as the helpless cruiser simply came apart in a shower of flame.

The fire soon dying away, Amuro turned _Unit Alpha_ around and began to search for new targets. By this point, it were as though Amuro had lost all perception of his conscious self. Now, he felt as though he had somehow transcended all known forms of thought and perception.

He no longer saw through his physical eyes, but completely through his extrasenses. And while _Unit Alpha_'s comm. system continued to pick up transmissions, he did not hear them through his ears so much as he "perceived" them within himself, alongside the images of their originators. As well, he no longer felt his hands and fingers around the controls; rather, it was as if _Unit Alpha_'s limbs were his own, such that they moved along with his will and mental command. And most importantly, he no longer observed the battlefield through the cockpit panoramic monitor, but _beheld_ it through his own sentience. All the while the screams, and his own rage and anguish, refused to die down.

As all of this occurred, distinct lines along _Unit Alpha_'s chassis began to glow and shimmer in crimson red.

It wasn't long before his sensors again warned him of incoming _Zakus_, who were already in firing range. Reacting instantly, Amuro turned _Unit Alpha_ around and charged back into the battle, letting out a bellowing roar, partly against the Zeon and partly against the screams, as he did.

* * *

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

With another burst of beam fire from the _Ark Royal_'s six bow mounted turrets, another pair of _Dresden_-class cruisers were struck and obliterated. Unfortunately the destruction of those two cruisers were largely irrelevant, as there were many more Zeon ships, who in turn fired back at the fleetcarrier with fair abandon. In regard to that, Bright subconsciously grimaced as one of those beams nearly struck the bridge, but ended up missing along the starboard side. His luck, and his ship's luck, were holding out for the time being, but Bright wasn't sure how long either would remain within this realm of chaos.

By now, the two fleets were merging into each other, causing the fight transition from a straight forward exchange into an all out melee. All across the bridge monitor and viewport, Bright watched as Zeon and Federation ship, _Eurymedon_ and _Dresden_ cruisers, _Actium_ and _Scharnhorst_ battlecruisers and a seemingly infinite number of _Guncannons_ and _Zakus_ converged on one another, mixing together as grey and green silhouettes against the darkness of space. Beams and missiles were coming from every angle now, while the _Ark Royal_'s eight beam cannon turrets and various beam phalanx emplacements twisted on their mounts and fired at every target that was in reach. All in all, the Battle of Jericho II may not have been as intense as Arcturus, Riah or several others, but from Bright's perspective there was little difference.

Of course, the transition of the battle also changed the order of priorities. As Jericho II no longer existed, the Zeon were obviously no longer concerned about slipping past the Federation fleet. Instead, their objective was not to outmaneuver and overwhelm the Star Force battle group with its superior numbers. At least, that's what Bright would have done if he were Delaz. Fortunately, Wakkein had anticipated that, and was already transmitting orders from the _Magellan_ to circumvent that on the capital ship level; the mobile suits remained under the direction of the _Ark Royal_'s CDC, and Bright generally allowed Lieutenant Anderson to retain command unless he was directly needed. As such, Bright retained his focus on he and his ship and crew surviving the battle, so that they could continue on their original course to Earth.

"Evade, z plus ten thousand meters!" Bright shouted to the helm, with Katz acting instantly upon the command. No more than a second later, the _Ark Royal_ climbed up and over the _Dresdens_ that had positioned themselves in front of her, while her two underbelly mounted beam cannon turrets unleashed their fury. One of the _Dresdens_ was quickly obliterated, allowing the _Ark Royal_ to sail over the rest, the warships trading beams at near point blank range.

"_Scharnhorst_ at one-one-eight, mark four-two-seven! It's closing on us!" Oscar shouted from the sensor station. Immediately he placed an image of the green dagger-shaped battlecruiser on the main monitor, just as the forward tips of its own bow beam cannon turrets began to light up. A moment later, they fired, causing the entire ship to rock.

"Cannons one and five, return fire!" Mirai shouted from her seat. Upon that order, the _Ark Royal_'s two portside upper and lower mounted bow cannons let out their song, sending magenta beams straight into the green battlecruiser. Unlike the _Dresden_, the _Scharnhorst_ was well armored and designed to take a heavy beating; as such, despite the massive explosions that rocked the battlecruiser, her main hull held against the _Ark Royal_'s fury, while her four remaining bow turrets returned fire alongside a missile strike.

Again the _Ark Royal_ rocked against the beam cannon shots, though she held firm. Alongside, her beam phalanx turrets were quick in shooting down the missiles. From there came the _Ark Royal_'s second salvo, which obliterated the entire bow portion of the Zeon ship up to the hangar decks, as well as detonated the spherical outer generators on either side of the top. Secondary explosions soon erupted as a result, while the battlecruiser listed into a drift.

However, Bright noticed that the battlecruiser was not dead yet, as its engines soon reengaged. At first Bright was confused at that, as the vessel no longer had any bow mounted guns. However, that moment of confusion was brief, as Bright quickly realized what was happening. _She's going to ram us!_ "Hard to port!" he quickly shouted. "All guns, target enemy battlecruiser! Fire!"

Once more Katz was on the move in barely a second's time, reangling the _Ark Royal_'s dual bow toward the charging battlecruiser. Likewise, Letz, centered all six of the _Ark Royal_'s bow cannons on the battlecruiser and put them on continuous fire, the result being that entire field of space becoming filled with magenta energy.

Unfortunately though, the stricken battlecruiser was moving at such a high velocity and presented such a small target profile that both the automated fire control system and Letz were having difficulty landing shots, all the while the burning ship picked up speed. The _Ark Royal_'s tactical officer tried to get around this by firing missiles, but only eight tubes were loaded at that point, and though all the missiles hit and caused considerable damage, the _Scharnhorst_ only continued to close in. Even as she drew closer and allowed the main cannons to at last gain a solid lock on her, resulting with her broken hull being further reduced by beam fire, the _Scharnorst_'s charge would not be broken.

Then at last, one of the _Ark Royal_'s shots broke through and struck the already critical apollo reactor, causing it detonate and take what little remained of the ship with it. Though minor fragments managed to strike the _Ark Royal_ after, the damage was negligible, and the crew took a small moment to breath. They were alive for the time being.

Suddenly, Oscar's sensor monitor beeped, causing the officer to look on in surprise. "Captain, I think I found the _Peer Gynt_!" Both Bright and Mirai looked up as Oscar continued. "It's a little scarce, but sensors have a seventy-three percent match on her energy signature!"

"Put it on the main monitor!" Bright ordered immediately. A minute later, a full tacscreen emerged on the bridge's central monitor, in which one of the green dots representing Zeon ships was highlighted. As Bright saw, that particular ship was further back in the fleet, surrounded by a large number of escorts. Just like any other command ship would have been. "Send this data to the flagship immediately! And set a course for intercept!"

"Four more _Dresdens_ and a _Zaku _force coming in, starboard bow!" Oscar shouted out in warning. "The _Dresdens_ are launching missiles!"

Bright sneered at that. Even though they now had a positive ID on Delaz's flagship, they had no way of reaching it for the moment. Not that taking it out would end the battle; things were _never_ that easy. "Evade! Step up the phalanx fire!"

* * *

Sleggar grimaced as a beam smashed into his _Unit Beta_'s left beam shield, responding with his beam rifle at the next opportunity. The _Zaku_ succeeded in avoiding a killing blow but still had its left leg severed at the knee. Sensing an opportunity there, Sleggar throttled his _Gundam _to full power and shoulder barged the damaged _Zaku_ with such force he was sure the Zeek pilot's teeth rattled. From there, clamped his left beam gauntlet upon the _Zaku_'s cockpit and let loose a single beam, killing the pilot instantly. However, just as Sleggar flew away and the _Zaku_ detonated, several more appeared to take its place. "Don't you Zeek bastards ever die!?" he shouted in furor as he fired back with his beam rifle.

To his side, the _Guncannon_ force that had been supporting for the last several minutes came streaking in, each firing their respective shoulder guns at the oncoming Zeon. Unfortunately their shots only managed to destroy two _Zakus_, with the rest easily regrouping and returning fire. Instinctively Sleggar threw _Unit Beta_ into evasion, the _Guncannons_ all following him. Unfortunately, three were cut down by the yellow beam fire regardless, and one ended up losing its head from a glancing blow. Sleggar responded by snapping off two shots that claimed two more _Zakus_, but even he could not keep the rest from bridging the gap and engaging at close-range, the _Guncannon_'s primary weakpoint.

_Damn it! _he thought with anguish as he attempted to give chase, taking down one _Zaku_ after another. But even with all his skill and the power of the _Gundam_, Sleggar was just one unit, and there were multiple _Zakus_. As such, he could not keep all of them off his allies any more than he could be in two or three places at once. The result spoke of itself as the _Zakus_ intercepted the _Guncannons_ and dispatched them with their machine guns or beam axes at near point blank, all the while flitting around the _Guncannons_ fire with ease. The _Stormers_ of the group managed to take down one or two, their gatling cannons proving most effective, but even they could not keep up with their adversaries' mobility.

Sleggar grimaced as the screams erupted over the comlink. _Of course the Zeeks would go after the weaker ones first._ he thought derisively. Fortunately, that meant they were preoccupied, allowing Sleggar to slip in and gun them down one by one. However, this only lasted for a brief moment as more _Zakus_ came charging in to support their comrades, with one brandishing its beam axe and charging _Unit Beta_. Unable to maneuver in time, Sleggar reengaged his beam shield and deflected the attack, then responded by firing his vulcans. Much to his surprise however, the _Zaku_ pilot veered up and over the vulcan blasts, brought his machine gun back out and fired back. Again a split-second activation of his beam shield saved Sleggar from taking damage, but it also left him open to be tackled by several more _Zakus_, who held him down and leaving him open to a vertical chop from the first.

Bellowing a roar of pure rage, Sleggar flexed _Unit Beta_'s arms outward and threw off the _Zakus_ holding him, allowing him to switch out his beam rifle for a beam saber, just as the first was about to make contact. In a swift slashing motion Sleggar hacked off the _Zaku_'s arm right arm and then proceeded to cut the Zeon mobile suit in half along its waist. From there, he ignited his thrusters and launched into each _Zaku_, one after another, leaving behind only divided pieces and superheated edges in his wake.

In the middle of his carnage however, he just barely noticed one _Zaku_ move behind him and line up for a machine gun shot. Sleggar quickly twisted around while reclaiming his beam rifle, moving to beat the Zeek at his own game in a classic wild western draw. That's when something spectacular occurred.

Just as he leveled his beam rifle, another magenta color beam shot out from the distance and blasted the _Zaku_ in the back, exited and shot over _Unit Beta_'s right shoulder. Through the resulting fire, the cast white form of _Unit Alpha_ barreled onto the scene, appearing as an avenging angel as it went on the offensive. Without ever breaking its momentum, the _Gundam_ streaked through space and fired beam shot after beam shot into each and every _Zaku_ within the vicinity, attacking from angles that should have been impossible for its rookie pilot.

_Holy shit...! _Sleggar thought in complete astonishment as more and more _Zakus_ fell around him. _Is that Amuro!?_

Through the onslaught, one _Zaku_ managed to move in behind _Unit Alpha_, beam axe engaged and ready to strike. The white _Gundam_ responded by drawing its left beam saber and executing a full three hundred sixty degree spin, with the resulting slash cleaving the _Zaku_ into at the waist. It continued its attack from there, switching between the beam rifle in the right hand and the beam saber in the left, with no _Zaku_ standing in its way.

As Amuro kept up his attack and Sleggar moved to join him, the Commander noticed that his subordinate took care to avoid hitting any of the _Guncannons_ that were in the vicinity. Indeed, Amuro's attacks were clear and precise, destroying enemies and narrowly missing allies throughout their originator's flight. Every _Zaku_ was destroyed with little more than a singular motion, and every _Guncannon_ was left undamaged as the white _Gundam_ went blazing by, no matter how close the other Star Force mobile suits were to its targets. Sleggar soon realized the only other individual he had seen fight like that was Sayla.

Just then several more yellow beams came streaking in, causing both _Gundams_ to turn to their origin. Sleggar gritted his teeth as another _Scharnhorst_-class came blasting in. They just kept coming it seemed. "Shrike Three, let's..."

He never got to finish his sentence as _Unit Alpha_ reignited its thrusters and shot after the Zeon battlecruiser, narrowly evading its fire as it flew. Sleggar started to worry. Mobile suits were one thing, but ships were an entirely different field of combat. A field Amuro had no experience in. "Shrike Three, wait!"

No response came, as _Unit Alpha_ simply continued its assault. Flitting and banking around the beams and missiles, the white mobile suit was soon over the battlecruiser, where it took aim with its beam rifle and began firing. At first, it seemed as though _Unit Alpha_ was shooting at a random part of the _Scharnhorst_'s bow. But then, much to Sleggar's surprise, that area of the ship rocked with a massive explosion, one that shook the entire ship. Amuro followed that up with three or four more shots to different areas, each of which resulted in a crippling explosion that buckled the entire hull of the battlecruiser.

Then, just as _Unit Alpha_ settled on an area toward the aft of the gravely wounded battlecruiser, Sleggar's sharp eye caught something. Though it was brief, he thought he saw thin red lines running along _Unit Alpha_'s right shoulder. _What is that...!?_

Target acquired, the white _Gundam_ let loose one final beam shot, which blasted through the _Scharnhorst_'s already weakened armor and hit dead center in what could only be the Zeon ship's main reactor, as the resulting explosion was no less than spectacular. It was then that it occurred to Sleggar; Amuro had been able to detect the power distribution areas of the warship and had specifically targeted them, effectively destroying a whole Zeon warship with only a few beam shots.

However, as Sleggar looked past the explosion toward _Unit Alpha_, that occurrence was merely a side thought. Cast against the flare of the explosion, he saw that the _Gundam_'s entire body was covered with thin red lines, which shimmered and pulsated like flickering stars in the night sky. And that wasn't all; Sleggar, wondering for a brief moment if he was getting delusional, thought he saw a transparent red "aura" surrounding _Unit Alpha_, like a cloud or an energy field.

Thus, when the _Gundam_ reoriented itself from its shot, in which case its yellow eyes were looking toward _Unit Beta_'s, the mobile suit took on an entirely different image. Rather than the avenging angel it was before, the _Gundam_ took on the visage of a demon. Or an unholy spirit.

_No..._ Sleggar thought, his eyes completely fixed on the mobile suit in that brief moment. Even he could not keep himself from feeling vestiges of terror at the sight before him. _A White Devil._

Before he could say another word, much less communicate too Amuro, _Unit Alpha_ launched away at full thruster power, shooting off through the battlefield for more prey. And in the wake of its trail, additional explosions followed.

* * *

**Zeon **_**Scharnhorst**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Peer Gynt**_**  
Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

_What...What is this...?_ Delaz mentally, feeling complete astonishment beginning to overtake him. The rest of the bridge crew shared his astonishment, and accompanying despair, as they looked up and observed the main monitor.

Upon the bridge's central viewscreen, a tacscreen lining the current battle was interposed. The Zeon forces were, naturally, outlined in green while the Federation forces were outlined in blue. Along that line was the element that had captured everyone's attention: a single blue dot moving through and wiping out line after line of green dots, at such speed that it seemed to be unstoppable. The accompanying image screens, displaying the said unit, which was the white new model that had broken through the lines before, slaughtering any _Zaku_ or ship that it came across.

As Delaz kept watch over that screen and those images, he, for the first time in the entire battle, began to fear the worst possible outcome. From the onset, that white mobile suit, and the blue and red units alongside, had been clear threat to the entire operation, but at the very least the sheer numbers of _Zakus_ and warships had kept them all contained. As powerful as they were, even they could not break through sheer legions of _Zakus_ all at once, and though they had inflicted a fair amount of damage to his forces, they were unable to disrupt his advance, much less turn the tide of the battle to Wakkein's favor.

Now however, things were different. While the blue unit was still being held back, and the red unit was still engaged against Gato, the white unit was moving completely unhindered through Delaz's ranks and butchering them en masse. It didn't matter what the target was; mobile suit, cruiser, battlecruiser, they were all destroyed with equal timing and ferocity. In fact, it was precisely the speed in which the white mobile suit destroyed its targets that made Delaz feel fear; such a rapid display of the destruction should have been impossible for a lowborn, or a Zeon. It seemed almost _inhuman_.

And that wasn't the worst of it. From behind the white mobile suit, the other blue dots began to move through the newly formed cracks in the Zeon battle formation, caused by both _Unit Alpha_'s reign of destruction and the Zeon force's own confusion over it. And just like the latter, they were picking up speed as they did so.

_Damn it, the Feddies are pressing their advantage!_ Delaz realized derisively as he regained control over himself. He could not allow that even in the slightest; if the Feddies pressed on as they were now, his fleet would take unrecoverable losses, and the battle _just may_ turn toward Star Force's gain. "Order all forces to maintain formation at all costs!" he shouted to the operator. "Do _not_ let the lowborn scum break through!"

The operator could only shake his head in frustration. "Sir, there's too much commotion over all channels! My transmissions aren't getting through!" he replied.

Delaz seethed with anger. "Then use the broadband! I don't care if the Feddies hear it too!" he shouted back. The battle had gone too far, and too smoothly, for this to happen. Yes, Jericho II was destroyed, but that didn't mean he was going to hand the Federation a victory, even a pyrrhic one.

Suddenly, the _Peer Gynt_ rocked as a surge of beam cannon fire came charging off its bow, destroying two of its escorts in the process. Delaz gripped his chair as he looked over to see the pinprick lights of ships in the distance, moving to intercept his force, though they were too far out for him to tell which type. Even so, he had a sinking feeling on what that taskforce was.

"Five enemy ships incoming!" the sensor operator shouted hurriedly. "The lead ship...it's the _Magellan_!" The main monitor zoomed in to verify this, depicting an _Actium_-class battlecruiser leading on a quartet of _Eurymedons_ in firing at Delaz's personal force.

Despite his disposition at the changing tide, Delaz smirked at that. _So you want to come at me personally Wakkein? Interesting._ he thought to himself.

"We're being hailed." the comm. operator announced as another one of the _Peer Gynt_'s escorts exploded in the background. Completely undeterred by the support ship's destruction, Delaz gave the nod. It was unorthodox to communicate with the enemy commander in the middle of battle, but he couldn't help himself.

Soon enough, the image of a Star Force Admiral with blonde hair and a scowl took up the main monitor. "Well well, Admiral Wakkein I presume." Delaz addressed the image almost gingerly. "I do not suppose you are signaling your surrender."

"Hardly Zeon scum." Wakkein snapped back while the _Magellan_ rumbled around him from the _Peer Gynt_'s return fire. "I just wanted to see your face at least once, before I _descend_ your ass to Hell."

Delaz sniffed at that. _Only you lowborn vermin would believe such a place as Hell _actually_ exists._ he thought derisively. "Feeling your losses I see." Delaz went on, enjoying the sight of the opposing Admiral's scowl deepening. "It is to be expected, having lost both the planet you were defending as well as the bulk of your forces over a single _miscalculation_. As a commander, you must feel well and truly shamed over your incompetence."

If Wakkein was stung over Delaz's taunts, the admiral didn't show it. "Not as much as your pissant emperor is going to be when he loses this war." he replied in turn, causing Delaz's eyebrow to twitch. "But for the moment, I'll settle for killing you and avenging the billions you slaughtered."

Delaz smirked. In spite of all that was happening in the battle at large, he simply could not refuse a duel challenge from an enemy commander. "Very well, I accept your challenge." he said, his gaze narrowing into Wakkein's. "Let us see who triumphs, Feddie."

"With pleasure Zeek!" Wakkein shouted back as the guns of both the _Peer Gynt_ and the _Magellan_, as well as their respective support ships, rang out once more.

* * *

Feeling a sudden surge of pressure spark in her mind, Sayla felt her eyes widen and her gaze momentarily turn to her left side. Where the main battlefield remained in motion. _This feeling...is that Amuro?_

Before she could look into the pressure any further however, she picked up the more pressing threat of Gato renewing his attack. Twisting around, Sayla brought her right saber up, deflecting the latest blow from the Zeon's remaining beam axe, then counterattacked with her left saber. Yet again did Gato manage to evade the blow by a bare margin, the saber tip cutting into the _Zaku_'s torso armor, or what remained of it anyway, as Gato put his thrusters in reverse. Sayla responded by putting more power into her _Gundam_'s thrusters and moving into pursuit, with the Nightmare of Solomon, as wounded as his mobile suit was, more than willing to continue the fight. As such, the two mobile suits returned crisscrossing throughout space and exchanging repeated sword and axe strikes.

As they continued to fly about, Sayla took note of the current state of Gato's _Zaku_, which through the course of the battle had been systematically _reduced_. Both legs, while still present, were cut and broken in almost every area, with the particle thrusters within them barely operating. The center torso was so deeply cut that it wouldn't have taken much more to expose the cockpit, while the beam shield projector had long been disabled when Sayla slashed its then exposed center, the latter being a deliberate attack to remove Gato's rose and crossed swords emblem and infuriate the ace further. Obviously the right arm and accompanying beam axe remained as well, but said arm was also missing glaring chunks from the continuous strings of bare second evasions, almost reducing it to a skeleton-like state. And finally, while Sayla had allowed the _Zaku_ to retain its head (for the time being), it too had been cut apart, to the point that the mono-eye was now firmly exposed, the helmet piece mostly "scalped", and with it the commander's antennae now a severed stump. All in all, Anavel Gato's custom _Zaku_ now little more than an undead parody of a mobile suit, only gaining more and more wounds with each passing moment.

_He's persistent, I'll give him that much._ Sayla though with dark amusement the said the ruined _Zaku_ struggled to keep up with her yet untouched _Gundam_. _A weakling, but a persistent weakling to be sure._

Despite the Nightmare of Solomon's valiant efforts, his continued resistance was more comical than inspiring. Gato was almost literally breaking his, and his mobile suit's, back trying to simply _wound_ her, and yet her _Gundam_ remained untouched. And as if that weren't bad enough, Gato was _still_ overturning his mind on how a "lowborn wench" could be more skilled than him (not that he would verbally admit it), let alone be capable of reducing his mobile suit to such a state. He no longer even bothered trying to disguise his ire, not that he could have against Sayla's power.

As they crossed sword and axe again, Sayla decided to twist the dagger that much more. "My compliments, Nightmare of Solomon." she spoke, her voice retaining its sardonic and mocking tone. "Not many are capable of fighting in such a..._modest_ state of form."

Gato snarled back, feeling more wounded in pride now than he had ever been before. "We highborn _always_ fight to the end!" he shouted as she executed another axe attack, which Sayla parried with either of her swords. "Victory will be mine yet, wench!"

Sayla resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Not only had Gato's _Zaku_ been reduced through the course of their fight, but Gato's dialogue as well. It was amazing what some would say to cover a broken ego. "Come now, Nightmare of Solomon, let's be realistic."

She then counterattacked, again taking off a chunk of Gato's _Zaku_ as he moved to evade. "Your mobile suit is in shambles, you yourself are wounded..." she said, referring to Gato's now cracked helmet and the trickled down his face, a result of a portion of his panoramic monitor exploding. "...and you have yet to so much as leave a mark on my mobile suit. Tell me, what possibility for victory do you have to hope for?"

Gato glowered as Sayla's beam saber cut off his already useless beam shield projector, nearly taking his _Zaku_'s last arm with it. "My determination..." he said, before raising his voice as he forced back the attack. "...to bring glory unto Zeon!"

Again Sayla resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Not that she could have as she was too concentrated on deflecting the resultant flurry of axe attacks, parrying or evading one strike after another. As inane as Gato's dialogue was, his determination to win remained, even though it had long occurred to him that he was outmatched (again not that he would ever admit it). In that regard, Sayla partly wondered if Gato were now focusing on keeping her away from the main battle for as long as he could, as opposed to actually defeating her.

Or more precisely, Sayla wondered if he were simply delaying his suicide charge, his "secret" final tactic in which he would charge whatever remained of his _Zaku_ into _Unit Gamma_ and activate the self-destruct system, all in the hope of taking her with him into the afterlife. Sayla didn't need her special powers to know Gato was planning _that_; it was only logical someone as driven by patriotism as the Nightmare of Solomon would fight to take at least one enemy with him unto death. In fact, assuming Sayla didn't kill Gato here, she could see him flying his machine into the hull of a _Eurymedon_-class cruiser or infiltrating a Star Force station to blow himself up later down the line. It was all too obvious.

It wasn't long before Gato made another grievous error in his fighting technique, attempting to chop into _Unit Gamma_'s shoulder from overhead. Sayla easily knocked the axe blade back up with her right saber, then spun around and slashed with her left, the result being the _Zaku_ now losing its right leg. Gato visibly grimaced at that, as the legs contained some of the _Zaku_'s particle thrusters, and as such mobility was severely cut down. Not that he had been able to keep up with that strange Federation model all this time.

He attempted to fly back, but Sayla pressed the advantage, cutting off a large portion of the _Zaku_'s head in her next swing, reducing it to about two-thirds its usual size and effectively "fixing" the mono-eye in the center. When Gato attempted to counterattack that, Sayla retaliated by slashing off the left leg as well. From there, it was all too simple to cut off the remaining arm, depriving the _Zaku_ of its remaining weapon as well, much to the Nightmare of Solomon's detriment.

Flying past her opponent's now _thoroughly_ reduced mobile suit and gracefully turning around, Sayla flashed a cruel smirk as she felt Gato's features twist with rage and indignation. "It appears the glory is mine, Nightmare of Solomon." she said, pointing one of her sabers at her opponent, whose mobile suit was now little more than a floating torso with two thirds a head. "I wonder what your beloved emperor would think of you now."

A muted growl and a wrathful glare were the only response Sayla received, so she went on. "Do you wish to die with some level of dignity..." she said, her smirk growing even darker. "...or as a true _lowborn_?"

The fury in Gato's eyes tripled at that. Though it was not widely known, the term "lowborn" wasn't necessarily limited to non-augmented humans; it could also be used to denote any creature of clear inferiority. As such, when used upon a Zeon, it was considered the ultimate insult, something that usually inspired violence thereafter.

Thus, alongside the flash of the _Zaku_'s mono-eye, was Gato's response. "You Federation whore!" he shouted as he activated his _Zaku_'s self-destruct sequence, the timer appearing on his dashboard monitor. _"I WILL TAKE YOU WITH ME!"_ he bellowed as he then put his mobile suit's thrusters, the ones remaining anyway, into full burn, sending his dying mobile suit headlong toward the crimson red monstrosity.

Sayla frowned, almost disappointed. "So the latter then." she exclaimed as she put _Unit Gamma_ back into motion. Crossing the distance faster than Gato could react, Sayla once again shot past the _Zaku_, twisted around and slashed it across its back, destroying the _Zaku_'s remaining thrusters as well as the detonation circuitry for its self-destruct system. With that, the countdown was halted, an "ERROR" message appearing over Gato's screen, while Sayla followed up by kicking the ruined torso away. She then promptly finished it off with a spray of vulcan fire, causing it to explode in a fiery mess.

What Sayla didn't expect, however, was for Gato, instinct and honed reflexes again kicking in, to activate his ejection system right before Sayla destroyed his _Zaku_'s remnants. Thus, just as the Star Force ace pulled down on the trigger, the _Zaku_'s ruined chest plate flung open and shot off the originally concealed cockpit pod into space, right before the magenta beams connected and obliterated it.

_So much for dying "gloriously" for Zeon._ Sayla thought as she withdrew her beam sabers and turned _Unit Gamma_'s head, intent on carrying out her original exclamation and finishing off the Nightmare of Solomon once and for all. Her picking up Gato's vocal and mental outcry against his inevitable fate just made the act all the more pleasing.

At least, it would have been had Sayla not again felt warning spark in her head. Throwing _Unit Gamma_ into quick evasion, she watched as a squad of plain green _Zakus_ came charging in, firing their beam machine guns at her. Forced to return fire with her beam rifle, in which she struck down several units, Sayla could only watch as one of the _Zakus_ just managed to evade her fire (losing its left leg in the process), move onto grasp Gato's cockpit pod, and then shoot away into the distance while its comrades covered its retreat.

As she watched the _Zaku_ grow further and further away, Sayla considered wading through the rest and pursuing, but ultimately decided there was no need. Yes Anavel Gato was still alive, but that was hardly an issue; the ace was left mentally fractured from fighting a superior opponent for the first time, his pride grievously wounded and his spirit broken. Killing him at this point would be more an act of mercy than anything else.

_Besides..._ Sayla thought, as she, while fighting the other _Zakus_, looked back toward the still continuing main battle. Where that pressure remained. _...there are more important tasks at hand_.

With that, she gunned her thrusters to maximum and launched back toward the heart of the engagement, her Zeon attackers giving chase but struggling to keep up with her _Gundam_'s speed.

* * *

_"What the hell is that thing!?"_

_"I can't hit it...! It's dodging all my attacks...!"_

_"Is that thing even human...!?"_

_"It's...It's a monster...!"_

By now it seemed as though the outcries had merged into one singular voice, speaking out in fear of the "monster" slaughtering the Zeon forces. That voice was nowhere near as "loud" as the screams, but they stood out in his consciousness regardless. Some of the speakers were even fleeing before his approach; not that it mattered, as his _Gundam_ was much faster than their _Zakus_, and the capital ships had no hope of evading him. Such as it was now, as Amuro blasted his left hand gauntlet through another _Zaku_ at the waist and then struck down two more with the beam rifle in his right, all the while keeping up his velocity around the various warships. One after another, presences of human lives vanished around him like puffs of smoke

Passing over a wounded _Eurymedon_-class cruiser, which had ended up caught in the crossfire of a pair of _Dresdens_, Amuro took aim and fired upon the various _Zakus_ swarming the ship, striking each and every one of them with now completely precise aim. Several _Zakus_ immediately broke off rather than fight him, but many more turned around and moved to intercept. Like almost every other _Zaku_ group Amuro had encountered up to now, they figured their superior numbers would give them an edge against the "lowborn" monstrosity. Needless to say, Amuro was more than happy to prove otherwise.

Firing off several more beam and striking down more _Zakus_ in the process, Amuro charged back at the incoming formation, raining additional shots as he closed the distance. One _Zaku_, was somewhat hotheaded even by Zeek standards, shot ahead of the others and attempted to attack him up close with its beam axe. Amuro replied by simply evading the blow and then elbowing the _Zaku_ in the back of the head, right before shooting it through the back with his beam rifle. Three more came up after that, two firing at him with machine guns and the other with a bazooka, putting Amuro on the evasive for a brief moment. He returned fire soon enough, obliterating the two machine gun units in one shot each and then destroying the second by shooting its bazooka, causing it to explode and take the upper portion of the unit with it. He would have made a follow up attack from there, but the pilot was already dead, so he let the remains float away aimlessly.

From there Amuro launched toward the two _Dresdens_, shooting down their escort mobile suits as they went. As he did, the _Eurymedon_ attempted to reorient itself and support him by firing its main cannons, but it only left itself open to a responding barrage, which obliterating the cruiser completely. Amuro was undeterred at that; though allies were killed, and the pain of their collective deaths was particularly striking, he was too concentrated on taking out the enemy himself. Besides, compared to the billions that died on Jericho II, and their continuous screams in his mind, the death of a _Eurymedon_ crew was little more than a momentary discomfort. Needless to say, Amuro would not reflect on how far he had come from his days in Shangri-La, where the individual deaths of a small military base and a handful of colonists had grievously effect him, until much later. And even then, he would not be able to figure out if he had grown or had fallen.

Coming up to the nearest _Dresden_, Amuro went to work destroying its main armaments and phalanx emplacements, leaving the ship vulnerable to his follow up attacks. He then made a move to strike its power centers as he had before, but decided that he would do something a little different here, especially when he noticed it was very close to the other cruiser. Flying up and over the Zeon warship, all the while firing shots into certain places (including the bridge tower), he moved behind its port engine block and fired several more shots into it, causing the entire block to explode in only a few moments. As a result of half its main propulsion being cut off and its helm being lost, the _Dresden_ began to list port, her backup crews unable to regain control of her. This in itself put her in a collision course with the other cruiser, which despite the valiant efforts of her own crew which included shooting at its mindless comrade with her main guns, would be unable to evade or prevent.

The result was nothing short of spectacular, with the first _Dresden_ plowing into the second, breaking the latter in half and sending fragments of either ships in all directions. Amuro could even "feel" a few crew members being caught in the vacuum, drawn out of their ships into void of space. It was a horrible way to die to be sure, but once more the Zeon deserved whatever happened to them. Either way he didn't consciously dwell on it for too long, as there were more enemies out there.

Those enemies soon made themselves known as another legion of _Zakus_ came flying in, supported by several _Dresden_-class cruisers as well as another _Scharnhorst_ this time around, all with their weapons blazing. As he evaded, Amuro couldn't help but listen into the chatter; it was here that he realized that an enemy commander had specifically ordered this group to target him. The toll he was enacting on the Zeon for Jericho II was becoming more and more noticeable, such that they were diverting more of their fleet to come after him. Not that it mattered to Amuro either way, as he simply turned and returned fire with his hyper beam rifle, shooting down more _Zakus_ as the force drew closer.

"Will you all just die already!?" Amuro heard himself bellow with rage as another _Zaku_ lunged with its beam axe, only for Amuro to destroy its head with a gauntlet shot and then finish it off with a beam rifle shot to the back. And when another came up, he responded by _slamming_ the handle of his beam rifle into its faceplate, destroying its mono-eye and then finishing it off with his vulcans. At this point the Zeon were so easy to kill he didn't even need to draw his beam saber to fight at close-range, but at the same time there were still so many of them.

Thus, Amuro was so concentrated on the Zeon in front of him that he barely noticed the activity behind him. Before Amuro realized it, a torrent of beam fire erupted from behind him, cutting down the majority of the _Zakus_ and damaging the ships as well. Emerging on the scene like an archaic calvary, Amuro watched as a force of several _Guncannons_, three _Eurymedons_ and an _Actium_ joined the battle, flying up to support him in attacking the beams. "Our thanks to you Shrike Three!" one of the _Guncannon Commander_ pilots shouted as he flew past. "This is where the payback _really_ begins!"

It wasn't just there either; Amuro's senses easily picked up on the other Star Force ships and mobile suits rallying together for a massive counterattack. It was then Amuro realized what had happened. The Zeon had ended up becoming so concentrated on him, as well as Sleggar and several others, rampaging through their ranks, that his side had taken the opportunity to reorganize and prepare a counterattack. From there, what had begun as a few independent attacks to soften the Zeon formation had now developed into an all out offensive, with Star Force, for the first time in the battle, driving back against the Zeon. And as Amuro watched, and felt, the smaller group move forward against their still superior numbered Zeon opponents, he could see it was working out effectively.

However, none of it held any bearing on Amuro himself, aside from feeling more and more Zeon disappearing into the void. Thus, he gunned his thrusters and moved to rejoin the offensive, shooting down several _Zakus_ and another _Dresden_ as he went.

* * *

**Federation **_**Actium**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Magellan**_**  
Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

"Heh heh heh, payback's a bitch, huh Delaz!?" Wakkein exclaimed as he stole a glance toward one of the side monitors, which showed a tacscreen of the entire battle in motion. Though it had taken a bit of time to execute, the counteroffensive was now well on its way toward rolling over the Zeeks, with the blue dots of Star Force beginning to overwhelm the green dots of Zeon in virtually every area. Indeed, Wakkein's thought line was very much apt; he only wished he could see the look on Delaz's face, assuming he even saw the shift in the battle.

The latter was very much unlikely at this point, as the crews of the _Peer Gynt_ and the _Magellan_ were entirely concentrated on their current battle, with both ships maneuvering about space and firing at each other with their main guns. Though the _Peer Gynt_ was technically faster and better armed for ship-to-ship combat, the _Magellan_ was more heavily armored and could make use of her whole beam cannon allotment from virtually any angle. With both ships' mobile suit teams deployed elsewhere and their escorts either destroyed or disabled, the battle had turned into a classic duel between capital ships, something that was rarely seen in the modern era. Wakkein would have almost felt nostalgic if he hadn't been concentrated on surviving.

Naturally, there was more to this little duel than a classic showdown between Admirals. So long as Delaz was focused on fighting for his life, or even trying to take down his opposite number directly, he would be distracted from commanding his minions. And though Wakkein knew that, in lieu of their Admiral, overall command would break down to the senior most Zeek squadron commander, Wakkein was counting on him or her being nowhere near Delaz's level of brilliance. So far that seemed to be playing out, as the Star Force counterattack was proving. With any luck, Delaz was literally beating himself up trying to sink the insipient _Actium_-class battlecruiser, all the while his flunkies fell around him.

_And with even more luck, he'll _also_ be dead in the next few minutes_. Wakkein mused as his ship rumbled around him from the latest attacks from his opponent.

"Missiles incoming!" the sensor operator shouted in warning.

There was no point to that, as Wakkein could see the telltale smoke trails emanating from the battlecruiser's bow. "Evade, hard to port!" Wakkein shouted back. "Unmask phalanx!"

The _Magellan_'s bridge crew were quick to react to his orders, turning the Star Force warship around and allowing her smaller phalanx turrets to shoot down the missiles. In response, she also fired back with her own beam cannons, with one scoring a hit on the _Peer Gynt_'s starboard prow. However, the Zeon warship was far from out of the fight, to which she herself turned around and fired all six of her bow cannons, striking several points along the _Magellan_'s starboard side.

The entire ship rumbled under the power of the beam cannon shots, while monitors exploded and sparks flew across the bridge. Wakkein himself was forced to grasp his chair, lest the force of the explosions throw him off. "Status of our own launchers!?"

"Still operational!" the weapons officer replied as he looked over his display. "Now loaded!"

"Fire them! And follow it up with another barrage!" Wakkein shouted back as he glared back toward the green warship. Soon enough, the missiles emerged from the _Magellan_'s bow tubes and made their way toward the _Peer Gynt_, which responded by moving into evasion and putting up a screen with its own phalanx. However, the enemy helmsman made a mistake there; in attempting to maneuver, he or she ended up bearing the _Peer Gynt_'s port side right in front of the _Magellan_'s line of fire. Thus, all three of the _Magellan_'s bow oriented cannons scored hits, causing visible fire to erupt from the Zeon ship.

However, as damaged as she was, the Zeon battlecruiser was not done yet, and it wasn't long before she re-angled herself and returned fire with her bow cannons. Fortunately the _Magellan_'s own helmsman was more astute than his Zeek counterpart, and had already put the larger ship into evasion in anticipation of the attack. As such, only two of the neon yellow beams struck the _Magellan_ as she turned, all while the Star Force vessel returned fire with her own magenta colored beam shots. The _Peer Gynt_ visibly rocked from that return fire, with one beam even striking the side of the bridge tower.

* * *

**Zeon **_**Scharnhorst**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Peer Gynt**_**  
Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

Wiping the blood off his cheek, Delaz quickly reoriented himself upon his chair. By some miracle, the beam cannon shot that would have taken out the _Peer Gynt_'s bridge had only been a graze, and so the bridge remained intact. That being said however, damage was still done as monitors had exploded and shrapnel had flown, one of which had cut Delaz across his face. He was luckier than most however, as several of the bridge crew had been more grievously wounded.

"Maintain fire! I want that ship destroyed at once!" Delaz bellowed to the gunnery stations, glaring at the flickering image of the _Magellan_ on the main monitor. He watched as the _Peer Gynt_ fired at the enemy ship once more, but failed to strike any significant hits, as the grey and navy blue battlecruiser turned and began to encircle again. Delaz knew why his ship's fire was not connecting; by a sheer stroke of luck, the _Magellan_'s initial barrage had damaged the _Peer Gynt_'s targeting system, and so she had been struggling to gain hits throughout the fight, all the while the _Magellan_ continued to rain pummel her.

And then the _Magellan_ fired again, causing the _Peer Gynt_ to once again rock from the force. More explosions and shattered monitors sounded, alongside sparks flying in all directions. This time however, Delaz managed to remain in his seat, as well as keep from getting wounded again. Unfortunately that was the only good fortune that came of it, as he soon found out.

"Our main reactor's taken a hit!" one of the operators reported. "Power now at ninety-three percent and falling! Weapons will not remain active for much longer!"

"Can you engage emergency power!?" Captain Yuri Hasler, the _Peer Gynt_'s captain, demanded just as his ship rumbled from another blow. If the _Peer Gynt_ lost power now, then there was no way it would survive the next few minutes, as the Feddies clearly held no interest in observing the Mars Convention.

"It's engaged, but it won't be enough to keep us in the fight!" the operator replied in near anxiety. It was obvious he, and by extension the rest of the _Peer Gynt_ crew knew what would happen if their ship became disabled.

"Divert all available power to weapons and engines! I don't care if you have to siphon off life support to do it!" Hasler ordered in turn.

Clasping his hands together under his nose, Delaz's hawk-like eyes remained on his opponent, as well as another screen at the side. Despite what Wakkein was thinking, Delaz wasn't a fool; he knew the opposing admiral was trying (and succeeding unfortunately) to keep him out from commanding the battle with this little standoff. Just as he also knew that the Star Force fleet had just launched a massive counteroffensive that was doing serious damage to his forces, whom were struggling to meet their enemy head on.

_Wakkein isn't as much an imbecile as I took him for._ Delaz thought with gritted teeth. He had to step back in and get things under control, but he couldn't do that with the _Magellan_ bombarding his ship. Like it or not, the only possibility of turning the battle back around and winning outright laid in sinking the enemy flagship then and there. And in order to do that, he needed an opening.

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long. Eyes remaining on target, Delaz watched as the _Magellan_ began to descend toward a level underneath the _Peer Gynt_. Clearly Wakkein was moving to target his battlecruiser's underside. _That's it!_

"All ahead full!" Delaz ordered to the helmsman. "Take us over the _Magellan_ with all speed!"

"That will leave us open to her top guns!" Yuri warned.

Delaz's response to that was a dark smile. "Not as much as she will be open to _our_ guns."

* * *

**Federation **_**Actium**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Magellan**_**  
Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

_What's she doing?_ Wakkein thought with an arched eyebrow as he watched the _Peer Gynt_, having turned herself to face the _Magellan_, ignite her main engines and went to full burn, sending it on an overhead pass toward her opponent. At first Wakkein wondered if the Zeeks had all gone insane; such a maneuver would only leave the _Peer Gynt_ open much earlier than if she had gone into evasion. However, he remembered who his opponent was and, more importantly, what one could do with a warship that could move in three dimensions.

As such, Wakkein's eyes lit up with realization at the enemy ship's maneuver. "Evade, hard to starboard! All ahead full!"

Too late did Wakkein shout that order. Before the helmsman could react, the _Peer Gynt_, maintaining its velocity, rolled to port, presenting her flank over the _Magellan_ as the two ships intersected. This not only lessened her targeting profile to the _Magellan_'s top mounted guns, but also unmasked all four of her port side turrets, which immediately rotated to meet the passing Federation ship.

Thus, as the two ships came together, the _Peer Gynt_'s guns open fired at near point blank range, obliterating a fair portion of the _Magellan_'s dorsal armor as well as both of her top bow angled turrets and several of her phalanx. And when the _Peer Gynt_ passed over completely, she angled her stern so that her aft turret could fire at her opponent's backside. The secondary barrage struck several of the _Magellan_'s main engine thrusters and even reached into her engine room, causing the engines that remained active to flicker out as well, in turn forcing the _Magellan_ into a drift.

Pulling himself up from the ground, Wakkein staggered back from the floor, feeling as though he had been struck by Halley's Comet. Pulling himself back in the chair, he looked out over his broken bridge, which was now littered with debris and more than one dead body. "Damage Report!"

"Main engines and weapons are offline!" someone shouted in warning. "Hull breaches reported on Decks Seven, Nine and Twelve!"

"The _Peer Gynt_'s turning around!" the sensor operator, who had barely survived a piece of the ceiling falling on top of him, shouted in warning.

"Are there any other ships in range!?" Wakkein shouted back as he looked back at the operator.

"I can't tell! Long-range sensors are offline!" the operator responded, before giving off a grim expression. "I wouldn't place my bets on it, sir."

As such, Wakkein could only look back on his bridge's static filled main monitor, where he saw the faint image of the _Peer Gynt_ turning to bring her bow cannons to bear. He had no doubts on what would happen next.

* * *

**Zeon **_**Scharnhorst**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Peer Gynt**_**  
Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379  
**  
"Finish her!" Delaz shouted, with such timber that it seemed like the bridge would shake apart around him. Though the gunnery officer wasn't in his line of sight, he could feel the young Lieutenant's grin as his finger moved to tap the associated key.

And that was when the _Peer Gynt_ shook once again, with explosions sounding around her.

* * *

**Federation **_**Actium**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Magellan**_**  
Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

With visible astonishment, Wakkein and the _Magellan_'s bridge crew gaped as a series of magenta beams slammed into the _Peer Gynt_ from above her, wiping out her top placed bow cannons, accompanying hangar deck and catapult and several of her outer generators. Coming in from that exact angle, a small force of ships, led by the equine form of the _Ark Royal_, made itself known, their beam cannons blazing away with accompanying missile fire.

_Well I'll be damned._ Wakkein thought, completely taken back by the fleetcarrier's sudden appearance. Though the Zeon battlecruiser attempted to return fire with her remaining aft cannon, she could not hold up to that sheer level of firepower. As such, it was all the _Peer Gynt_ could do to limp away, using her aft cannons to cover her retreat while her remaining phalanx shot down the missiles. Unfortunately for the Zeon, their AA screen was not so strong, and several of the missiles ended up striking their target. Only by some twisted miracle did the Zeek ship hold together.

However, before the Star Force ships could pursue, another group of _Dresdens_ also made themselves known, firing back at the Federals as their wounded flagship pulled itself away from the onslaught. Thus began another fight between Star Force and Imperial Guard vessels, with their intended targets obscured by the rampant fire. In the middle of the fighting, the _Ark Royal_ moved itself alongside the _Magellan_ and engaged a tractor beam, pulling the disabled _Actium_ away from the new engagement.

Seeing this all play out, Wakkein shot his sensor operator a small look. "Lieutenant, if we ever return to Earth, I'm _not_ taking you to Vegas." the operator's only reply was slouching in his chair, looking as though he were going to collapse on the spot.

"The _Ark Royal_'s hailing us!" the comm. operator, who had just managed to recover his post from the damage done earlier, spoke up.

"Put it on." Wakkein replied, himself too beaten up to feel anything but relief. He would have ordered the _Ark Royal_ to pursue Delaz, but with his own ship so severely damaged, he and his crew needed all the aid they could get.

Bright Noa's image soon flickered to existence. "_Ark Royal_ to _Magellan_, sorry we're late." the captain spoke without even a hint of gloating. "We had to kill a lot of Zeon to get out this far."

Wakkein let out a 'heh' at that. "As the saying goes, better late than never Captain." he replied, noticing several scorch marks along the _Ark Royal_'s hull; indeed she had been fighting. "How's the fight going?"

"Sir?" Bright asked, not understanding what the admiral meant.

"Our long-range sensors are down, so we can't monitor anything outside immediate range." Wakkein clarified.

Bright nodded in confirmation, understanding now. "The Zeon are still fighting hard, but we're driving them back. Over half their fleet has been wiped out and many more are going down as we speak." the captain offered a grim smile. "If we keep this momentum Admiral, it will be our victory."

_On the tactical level at least._ Wakkein thought but didn't say; he knew Bright realized it as well. Jericho II's remnants weren't _that_ far away. "Let's hope it stays that way then." Wakkein replied as he adjusted himself. "Though I doubt Delaz is quite finished."

* * *

**Zeon **_**Scharnhorst**_**-class battlecruiser **_**Peer Gynt**_**  
Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

With a great pull, the wounded but still very much alive Delaz lifted the massive piece of debris, something he wouldn't have been able to lift if he had not been Zeon, off of the fallen Yuri Hasler. With a fair amount of effort, he pulled the debris up at a fair height and then tossed it aside, right before kneeling down to check upon the stricken officer. "Yuri." he spoke softly, looking over the man's wounds.

"Just a scratch, Admiral." Hasler breathed with an ironic smirk. As far as Delaz could tell, he wasn't dying, but as one could tell from the captain's uniform, he was cut and broken in several places. In that regard, Hasler was truly fortunate, as the _Peer Gynt_'s bridge was now littered with dead bodies, the result of the multiple explosions that had erupted from the last barrage.

As such, Delaz nodded. "You'll live." he said as he helped the man back up and brought him over to a chair. _That is, if we were to get out of this alive._ the Admiral thought darkly.

As the few functioning screens displayed, things had truly fallen apart. Delaz could only watch as the Feddies overwhelmed his fleet in virtually every area, with various warships and _Zakus_ falling against the constant onslaught. The tacscreen, which had remained on the barely function main monitor, now showed that the Feddies were not only driving his forces back at great speed, but had taken out most of the squadron command ships, effectively reducing Delaz's fleet to a brainless mob. Even if he could somehow rally them, which he doubted he could do with the state his flagship was in, his numbers were dropping so fast that the Feddies would overpower them regardless.

That only left one option that could bring complete victory. Not allow Delaz and his forces to survive, but allow them to accomplish all objectives; yes, the enemy base had been destroyed, but if he wished to eliminate the enemy commander and the rest of his forces (as he had set out to do from the beginning) once and for all, then he would have to make a dire choice. The Admiral naturally didn't want to do it, but he wanted to return to Zeon and stand before his emperor with only a half victory even less. He also knew that His Majesty, if he had been there now, would have encouraged him to do what needed to be done so that the Empire could fully triumph.

Thus, Delaz, after clearing away some debris, returned to his chair and looked toward the helmsman, who was one of the few bridge crewman still alive. "Engine status." he said as he engaged the personal holoemitter in his chair, materializing a holoscreen control panel in front of him.

"Main engines are offline." the ensign reported as he looked over the damage report. "Warp drive, however, remains operational."

Delaz nodded at that. _The only way we can evade is if we departed the battlefield entirely, and that's not an option._ he thought grimly, knowing what would happen as he tapped a few keys. "Plot us a course back to Zeon, as close as you can get us, but do not engage." Delaz stipulated. "We will only do so if the worst were to occur."

The ensign didn't like the sound of that. "If I may ask sir, what exactly would the 'worst' be?"

After a few keystrokes, Delaz came down to one last key, which flashed red as if in warning. As he looked over the button, he turned toward the main monitor where he saw another vidwindow: that of the _Ark Royal _towing the _Magellan_ into the background. Though it was moving back toward the rear lines, the ship was still well within the center of the battlefield; the ideal position to be when Delaz played this last hand.

"Failure to bring glory to our Fatherworld, young one." Delaz stated grimly as he hit the key. _"Sieg Zeon."_

* * *

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

Oscar blinked as a new reading appeared on his display. "Captain, we have a problem!" he shouted, gaining Bright and Mirai's attention. "I'm picking up new power fluctuations within the solar ray." he looked back with a grave look in his eyes. "I think the Zeeks just reactivated it."

"Put it on the main monitor!" Bright immediately ordered. A second later, the image of the solar ray was presented, with its maw slowly becoming aglow with energy build up. As well, Bright could see that it was visibly adjusting itself for its new target, which Bright didn't need to guess at. _It's aiming for the _Magellan_, and us with it!_

"What the hell is Delaz thinking!?" Mirai exclaimed as her eyes widened. "We're right in the middle of the field; he'll be taking out his own ships with us!"

"And his own flagship too!" Ryu added, before putting another tacscreen on the monitor, this time showing the firing range of the solar ray and all ships within its vicinity. Amongst the various warships, including the _Ark Royal_ and the _Magellan_, the _Peer Gynt_ also laid within the solar ray's reach.

Bright's eyes turned into a glare at that. "So Delaz wishes to sacrifice himself as well." he muttered under his breath. It was a typical act for a Zeon, especially one as fanatical as Delaz was reputed. "Can we evade it?" he asked toward Katz.

"Negative Captain!" Katz called out with growing anxiety. "Even if I could get us out of range, that thing is deliberately tracking us!"

The next thing Bright saw was another vidwindow appearing on the main monitor, displaying the _Magellan_'s shattered bridge and her commander. "Bright, are you reading that!?" Wakkein asked up front.

Bright raised an eyebrow. "I thought your long-range sensors were..."

"We just got them back online." Wakkein clarified, before getting to the main point. "There's not much time. Drop your tractor beam and get your ass out of here!"

Mirai almost blanched at that. "If we do that Admiral, we abandon you to die!"

"I'm already dead Commander, and so is everyone who's with me. There's no reason for you all to die as well!" Wakkein countered, before looking back at Bright. "And even more, you have your own mission, don't you Captain? You have to get those mobile suits to Earth as Admiral Revil stipulated!"

Bright didn't have to look around to feel the eyes on him, both from the vidscreen. "This is a direct order, Captain!" Wakkein prodded on against Bright's silence. "Drop your tractor beam and get as far away as you can! Now!"

At that, Bright shook his head as his ship rumbled again from a stray shot. "I'm sorry Admiral, it seems your signal's fading. I didn't hear that last part." he replied blandly, using the interference to his advantage. "We'll try reestablishing contact later. _Ark Royal_ out."

"Bright!" Wakkein shouted, just as Kikka, knowing what her commander meant, cut the transmission.

Bright's eyes narrowed at where the Admiral's image had been. _Even if I did leave you to die, which would be in poor form Admiral, the only way to evade that thing now would be to go to warp immediately. And that would mean abandoning my mobile suits, including the _Gundams_, to die as well._ he thought, having purposely kept his tongue in check from Wakkein. _No way that's going to happen, sir._

Of course, that still left one question, which the bridge crew, as concentrated on their assignments as they were, awaited: what did they do now? As Bright's mind raced to come up with an answer, the glow in the solar ray grew ever brighter.

* * *

"You have got to be kidding me!" Sleggar thought as he blasted another _Zaku_ through the cockpit with a point blank gauntlet shot, then climbing away as it detonated. Off in the distance, he saw the solar ray's maw grow more and more alight, not unlike another doomsday machine from a certain "ancient" series he used to watch. "You bastards are going to fire that thing again!?"

"Commander!" Shiro shouted urgently as his _Stormer_, alongside Kiki and Michel's_ Troopers_, pulled up alongside _Unit Beta_ and joined it in striking down Zeon mobile suits. "How the hell are we going to stop that thing!?"

"That's a good question Shrike Four." Sleggar said as he redrew a beam saber and cleaved another _Zaku_ into, one of its halves colliding with one of its friends in the back. Sleggar then twisted around and finished off that unit with his vulcans. _Of course, how would we even reach it through this mess!?_

"Better yet, what the hell are these bastards doing!?" Michel yelled as he unleashed his cannons, beam rifle and vulcans at once, sending a surge of firepower against the _Zakus_ in front of him. Two _Zakus _were destroyed in the barrage, but more swooped in around the explosions. "Don't they realize they're in the line of fire!?"

"They don't care, Six! As far as they're concerned, they're dying for their fucking 'Fatherworld'!" Kiki shouted back as she tackled another _Zaku_ with her beam shield and then fired her cannons at point-blank range, flitting away before it exploded. "And if they can take us with them, then so much the better! Goddamn Zeeks!"

Sleggar didn't have to take his subordinate's word for it, as he could see it for himself. As he looked around to the various angles of the battlefield, he saw _Zakus_ and green warships continuing to fight against their Federation counterparts while making no effort to flee the battlefield; from a _Zakus_ pursuing retreating _Guncannons_ and forcing them back into the fire zone to the various _Dresdens_ and _Scharnhorsts_ laying down barrages on the _Eurymedons_ and _Actiums_ to keep them in place, the Zeon were doing all they could to ensure no one left the battle alive. And for those that were outside the zone, the Zeon units herded them like cattle back into the line of fire, performing elaborate formations and maneuvers for that very purpose. As far as they were concerned now, the Zeeks were no longer fighting to win, but rather to die taking their hated foes with them, and they were as motivated toward this endeavor as Star Force units were in avenging Jericho II.

And even then, the Zeon had nothing much to fear, as even when unhindered it was doubtful Sleggar's side could stop the solar ray. Aside from the _Gundams_, every unit in the Federation's inventory was too slow to reach the solar ray in time, and even though Sleggar, or Sayla and Amuro, could likely reach it through their mobile suits' sheer speed, how could they destroy something that large with their present weapons? Even if Sleggar had taken a bazooka with him into the battle, he doubted he could do any more than pierce the solar ray's exterior.

Sleggar growled in frustration at the whole scenario. _Damn it, it can't end like this!_ he thought as he was forced to shoot down more _Zakus_, his mind racing to come up with a solution but finding none. All that while the enemy superweapon grew more and more in power.

* * *

Amuro had just finished obliterating another _Dresden_ when he picked up the solar ray's reactivation; not just from his sensors and the escalation in comm. chatter, but also through his special senses. Like a sun over a gaping desert, he could feel heat and light emanate from the green behemoth's maw, the same glowing pattern of death and destruction that was building up for release. And along with its reactivation, Amuro felt the screams in his mind grow louder, as if he were reliving the death throes of Jericho II all over again, such that the _Gundam_ pilot instinctively placed his hands against his helmet in a vain effort to silence them. Enduring the strain, Amuro forced his head, and _Unit Alpha_'s head with it, to turn toward the distant solar ray, his panoramic monitor's digitized glare emanating off his helmet faceplate.

_"Not again...! I won't let you fire again...!"_ Amuro growled through his anguish toward the enemy superweapon. Forcing his hands back onto the controls, he ignited his thrusters and put the _Gundam_ back into flight, moving straight at the ray. So concentrated on it that, beside the fact he hadn't even devised a means of destroying it, he forwent any Zeon units in his way, maneuvering around them with little regard.

The light of the solar ray only grew brighter, as if accepting Amuro's challenge of defiance. At that, Amuro reached out with his special senses, extending them across the void of space until they encompassed the green cylinder, already picking upon its design and internal structure. As he ran through its form, Amuro's mind instantly ran through each part of the solar ray, analyzing and identifying each mechanism through shape and function (both individual and toward the whole). And as he did, Amuro felt no hindrance nor uncertainty toward his task; engineering was his field of choice and machines his specialty, each a part of a universe that he lorded over with complete dominion. Though he struggled with humanity, there was very little he did not understand about technology, and while Zeon technology, especially as something as large and imposing as the solar ray, was somewhat foreign to him, it still followed the same fundamentals and physical laws as any other device Amuro had encountered.

And chief among those fundamentals and physical laws was an inevitability that Amuro was would exploit. No machine was perfect; there was always a flaw so dire that it could destroy the machine as a whole if and when invoked. The trick now was to find and identify that flaw, before the solar ray could fire.

_Where is it...!?_ Amuro thought with growing aggression as he mentally shifted through the solar ray's various mechanics, all the while dodging and evading whatever enemy machine attempted to stop him. The former was proving to be an arduous task, as the solar ray was a large and complex machine with much in the way of individual parts and features, and it didn't help that a good portion of them functioned far more differently than anything made within the Federation. It helped even less that Amuro was on the timer, and that he had to effectively "rush" through the beast; the solar ray would fire in only minutes' time, and so Amuro couldn't afford a more thorough scan of each and every part.

And then he found it. A power distribution conduit that flowed too close to the outer hull, which transferred energy from the solar ray's core to the outer maw. If he hit it with his beam rifle at full power, he could cause a fluctuation so powerful that it would create a chain reaction throughout the rest of the frame. And as Amuro saw, the conduit was closest to the relative "underside" of the ray, well within reach of his main weapon's penetration power.

As such, Amuro felt himself focus, both physically and spiritually, even more on the solar ray and its glaring flaw. He now had his target. The trick was to reach it in the next few minutes, which he more than intended as he put his _Gundam_'s thrusters to absolute burn.

* * *

**Federation **_**Midway**_**-class fleetcarrier **_**Ark Royal**_**  
Jericho System, Outer Rim  
July 1, GC 379**

"What the-!?" Oscar exclaimed as he looked over his readings. He double checked his display before reporting it. "Shrike Three is flying at the ray!"

"What!?" Mirai exclaimed, looking over to Oscar's station in alarm.

"Onscreen!" Bright ordered, having been caught surprised as much as everyone else.

Sure enough, the main monitor displayed the pure white form of _Gundam Unit Alpha_ flying toward the much larger solar ray, at a such speed that it was not only evading the incoming _Zakus_, but easily outrunning the ones attempting to pursue it as well. Even as several Zeon ships launched a barrage of missiles to keep it back, _Unit Alpha_ simply banked and twisted around them without losing velocity; it didn't even use its vulcans to shoot down the missiles.

As the bridge crew watched this turn out, Mirai turned to Bright. "What the hell is he doing?" she exclaimed anxiously.

The only answer she received from her captain was his completely astonished gaze remaining on the monitor. For the first time in the entire battle, even after the solar ray began to recharge, Bright could only sit back and watch it all happen.

* * *

"What the hell!?" Kiki exclaimed as she forced his _Guncannon_ into a bank, just barely avoiding the on charging _Gundam_. As she reoriented herself, she, alongside Michel and their respective superiors, could only watch as the high performance mobile suit continued on. Such was its flight that the _Zakus_ had long since turned their attention away from them and were now attempting, in vain, to pursue.

"Shrike Three, what are you doing!?" Shiro called out, only to be greeted by silence. "Shrike Three, respond!"

"Let him go." Sleggar replied, reaching _Unit Beta_'s left arm out to visibly stop his subordinate. "He's going to take care of that thing once and for all."

The other three Star Force pilots looked at their commander's mobile suit as if it had grown a second head. "How!?" Michel let out, totally confused. "He's just one unit! We would need a fleet to destroy that thing!"

Shiro, however, was more hopeful. "Are you sure Commander?" he asked, almost afraid to actually believe. He, more than anyone, wanted that monstrosity destroyed. And not just so they would all survive.

Before he answered, Sleggar brought up his music list, from which he began shifting through the various tracks. "No more sure than you are Shrike Four." Sleggar coolly answered before he finally settled on one he felt was fitting. "But all the same, I have that feeling..." he then tapped the key.

A moment later, JAM Project's "Hagane no Messiah" filled _Unit Beta_'s cockpit. With that, Sleggar continued to watch the white _Gundam_, which through a magnified window he could see was still aglow with crimson energy lines and an outlining aura, move on toward the enemy superweapon. "Go get 'em kid." he exclaimed with a smirk.

* * *

Now completely through the battlefield, with the pursuing mobile suits long since falling behind, Amuro Ray flew onward toward the solar ray. Through sheer will, his eyes never left the ray's glowing maw, which grew brighter and brighter with each passing second, nor did he lose track of his intended target. Not even the sheer g-forces he physically endured, which only grew more intense as he put more power into his _Gundam_'s thrusters, were enough to take his attention away from the task at hand, much less stop him in his tracks.

Unfortunately, Amuro soon realized, it wouldn't be so easy. So concentrated was he on the solar ray that he had overlooked the small Zeon fleet that had surrounded it, which were systematically decloaking and opening fire upon his approach. Delaz, if that was the enemy commander's name, had apparently left a small contingent of ships and mobile suits behind to guard the behemoth, just in case any Star Force units slipped through. As such, a series of yellow beams rained toward Amuro, forcing him back onto the evasive.

_"I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS!"_ he roared, maneuvering _Unit Alpha_ around each blast as he did before. Though he managed to keep ahead of them, the Zeon barrage was much more coordinated and finely timed than what he had to deal with before, such that Amuro had to spend more energy maneuvering all the while maintaining his velocity. Helping even less was that, through the barrage, additional numbers of _Zakus_ were storming forward, moving to intercept the speeding _Gundam_ and hold it back long enough for the ray to fire.

Against them, Amuro pulled up his beam rifle and fired several shots, shooting down a few _Zakus_, but not enough to break through the line. Even as he took down several of them, there was still abundant numbers remaining, which were continually supplemented as more kept decloaking and flying out. He had to alter his flight path or risk getting shot down, but to do so would be to break his velocity and lose several precious seconds, which was exactly what the Zeeks were counting on. Amuro felt his teeth grit at that, all the while the collective image of the cyclopean titans grew larger in his monitor, more so than even the solar ray.

Then, just as Amuro blinked, a single magenta beam shot out from behind him and took out one _Zaku_, and then another, and then another. Suddenly feeling a familiar presence approaching, Amuro watched as the crimson form of _Gundam Unit Gamma_ pulled up alongside his own suit, adding its own beam rifle fire to his. "Shrike Three, I have you covered!" Sayla shouted as she stepped up her assault. _"Go!"_

Hearing that through both the comm. circuit and through his special senses, Amuro refocused on his objective and fired a torrent of beams at the Zeon, with Sayla adding hers for support. Through their combined efforts the wall of _Zakus_ were forced to scatter, allowing the two _Gundams_ to pass through without breaking their flight paths nor their velocity.

As they got closer, the Zeon warships intensified their own fire, even adding missile barrages for effect. As such, Sayla pulled _Unit Gamma_ in front of its sibling and fired a rapid barrage of beams, shooting down whatever missiles were close to striking her wingmate, all so that Amuro could remain on his present flight. Then, when she was close enough, Sayla broke away and dove after the enemy ships, taking them out one after another so that they hindered _Unit Alpha_ no longer. With no remaining obstacles, Amuro moved on toward his objective.

Now so close to the solar ray that the light was literally filling his main monitor, Amuro was forced to close his eyes and concentrate on his special senses. Changing his flight path, he dove "underneath" the solar ray, past the gaping maw and moving along the superweapon's relative belly. Once he reached a certain point, he quickly cut down his thrusters and slowed down, timing his deceleration so that by the time he came to a complete stop he was right underneath the conduit.

Thus dropping out of his flight, Amuro twisted his _Gundam_ around, spreading its legs out to balance it through AMBAC motion, and then raising his right arm and hyper beam rifle overhead. From there, Amuro switched his main weapon into its hyper mode and, letting out another roar of fury, fired upward.

All that remained after was a flash of light.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Author's Notes:** Up front I apologize for the redundancy of this battle. I know _Zakus_ getting blasted gets old after a while; this is one of the main drawbacks of this story is that, as I'm pretty much following the original _Mobile Suit Gundam_'s storyline to a fair degree. As such, Zeon only has the _Zaku_ for the time being.

And yes, I'm aware one of my options is the _MSV_ route, but, I'd rather not take it. First, _MSV_ designs were made with one purpose in mind: to sell model kits. As such, most of them hold no practical purpose, or at least nothing that the basic _Zaku_ couldn't fill. Second, obviously, the settings of the Universal Century and Galactic Century are vastly different. In UC (during the One Year War), mobile suits were confined to either space or Earth, could not fly under their own power (save for the H-8 model _Gouf Flight Type_) and generally followed a specialization mindset (which brings a certain statement from Motoko Kusanagi to mind). There are space mobile suits and ground combat mobile suits, artillery mobile suits and close-combat mobile suits, amphibious mobile suits and desert mobile suits, and so on. Hell, there's even variations of each specialized model; just look at all the _Zaku High Mobility Types_ and _Gouf Flight Types_ for example. And that's before we get into the subject of the (completely ridiculous) _MSV-R_ line.

Here in GC, as should be obvious by now, things are vastly different. First and foremost, mobile suits can function in virtually any environment as well as fly to and from any specific place; an average GC mobile suit can enter a planet's atmosphere, fly around a bit, take a walk through a desert or forest, dive into a sea, and then fly back up and exit said planet's gravity well without any special refit or modification. That capability alone eliminates a third of the typical _Gundam_ specializations, since a single mobile suit can operate in space, air, land and sea in one go (thus there's no need for specialized marine or flight type MS). Second, there's no need to develop things like the _Zaku Cannon_ (which was an anti-aircraft unit anyway), since the _Zaku_'s basic weapons line can fulfill virtually any mission parameter (machine guns for small targets, bazookas for larger ones, axes for close-range and missiles for fire support or backup), while the _Guncannon_ only has different shoulder weapons for different applications (otherwise, with only its rifle and vulcans, it's nearly as much a Jack of All Trades as the _Zaku_). And as for "high mobility", obviously _Alpha_ mobile suits don't use the same type of engine as UC suits; rather than liquid fuel propulsion through multiple thruster units across the body, GC suits, not unlike _00_ GN Drive equipped units or most other "sci-fi" types, use particle-based propulsion through centralized thruster blocks (usually mounted in the backpack and legs). That said, if someone wants to get a speed boost, then he/she need only modify the present thrusters for greater particle output, which is what most of the named Zeon aces have done (see the _Alpha_ wiki).

So yeah, One _Zaku_ To Rule Them All. Bare with it for now.

On the plus side, I'm sure you guys appreciated Sayla beating Gato around. That was something I really looked forward to with this chapter; Gato getting the crap knocked out of him by a descendent of Zeon's _true_ rulership, as well as someone who sees Gato for what he is. And as Aegiskhaos pointed out to me, Gato is not just an overrated character in personality; the man made a name for himself killing nameless grunts in the One Year War while his only real opponent in _0083_ was a rookie with a Bigger Stick. Yet all the same, Gato is an arrogant little shit (as my uncle, a former US Army Master Sergeant, would call him) that thinks he's the best Zeon has to offer, such that he's usually depicted (at least in side material) boasting that he could decimate Amuro Ray in a one on one fight. That being said, even from my perspective, it's truly satisfying to see Gato getting stomped on by another pro, especially when she's Char's little sister and something of a second Red Comet.

On another note, I'm sure a few people have noticed that I switched Galactic Federation back to Earth Federation. And if nobody has, well, I did. The reason I did this is because, if anyone has checked the _MSGA_ wiki page, I've greatly expanded the setting from just a standard Federation vs. Zeon conflict; that was my original plan, but I found it boring. As well, I remembered that World War II wasn't just fought by the Americans and the Nazis/Japanese; there were multiple nations and groups involved in fighting against the Axis Powers, and the war could only be won through that collective effort. As such, now there are multiple nations and factions fighting the Zeeks, most of which are derived from different _Gundam_ series (check the wiki out to see). I haven't gotten around to writing descriptions for them yet, but hopefully I'll be able to after this chapter is posted. And as a side note, these are just the named (prominent) factions; in the Galactic Century setting, there are as many different groups and stellar nations as there are stars in the sky.

And now, we have another _Guncannon_ model.

**RGC-605 **_**Guncannon Stormer**_**:** A specialized anti-mobile suit _Guncannon_, the first of its type to be produced by the Federation. Like the other _Guncannons_, this one is based around the _Guncannon Mass Production Type_ from _Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket_, only more futuristic to fit the setting. Rather than standard beam cannons on its shoulders, it holds a pair of beam gatling cannons like those on the Slash Wizard from _Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny_. As explained in this chapter, this is the fastest and most maneuverable _Guncannon_ to date, while its gatling cannons hold a firing rate that's twice as fast as a _Zaku_'s machine gun. The tradeoff is the _Stormer_ isn't as effective in anti-ship warfare as the other models, as the individual shots from the gatling cannons have a harder time penetrating ship armor (it's for this reason why Sleggar and Sayla chose to retain "standard" units). As well, it's more thinly armored than other _Guncannons_, though this isn't much of a tradeoff since _Zakus_ have little issue getting through the _Guncannon_'s heavier armor anyway. Overall, this little hot-rod is meant for Star Force aces; pilots that can both handle the high speed and accompanying difficult control system as well as kill _Zakus_ with the best of them. In terms of production scale, it's nowhere near as heavily produced as the _Trooper_, but at the same they're not limited production either.

With that, my final note is that, for _Unit Alpha_'s little Super Saiyan episode here, think less _Unicorn Gundam_ and more Orbital Frame (when it comes to the energy lines). Until next time.


End file.
